Through Amber Eyes
by Girl-Who-Ran-With-Wolves
Summary: Anna's been through hell, from an abusive step-father to alpha werewolves hell-bent on recruiting her friend, Anna thought life would be normal after Peter Hale's death but she was wrong.With a war approaching and Isaac Lahey, who tempts her with every look, will she be able to step up and fight or has she bitten off far more than she can chew? *DISCONTINUED DUE TO LACK OF REVIEWS*
1. 1: King of Wolves, Queen of Ice

**song that inspired the chapter: Raised By The Wolves - Falling In Reverse **

_**"**I'm insane, I am smart,_  
_ All it takes, is a spark, to ignite my bad intentions,_  
_ And do what I do best to your heart,_  
_ Don't be fooled I was raised by the wolves,_  
_ Now the moon hangs in full, so you know I won't play by the rules"_

* * *

"Now look what you made me do," he snarled as he punched her again. His defenseless girlfriend was curled in a fetal position as Anna observed from the stairs. The woman's nose was bloodied, droplets dripping onto the floorboards bellow. That's why he had bought this house, wipe clean surfaces perfect for washing away the evidence.

Anna could see it, plastered so obviously on her raging face. _You bastard, _those hazel eyes screamed, _you bastard! _But she took the pain nonetheless with a spiteful little smile that said, _try me._ As he beat her, smacked her around the room like a ragdoll, Anna heard Georgina crying in her room. Briefly she thought about comforting the tiny second grader but she was too much of a coward to try. What would she say? How could she explain to a six-year-old that her daddy beat her mommy because he didn't love her enough to care anymore? Anna thought about shouting for Kyle, a veteran of David's abusive, drunken behavior but decided better of it. He would probably be laying on his bed, trying to make his eardrums explode and turning a blind eye because his mother had told him to. Even as Anna observed the horror, she caught her mother's eye. The resilient woman – with a major in bioengineering – raised a trembling finger to her lip and blew a 'shh' from ragging lungs.  
So instead Anna just sat and watched, unsure of what to do and understandably unaware that just down the street something similar was happened to a boy named Isaac Lahey.

* * *

This was three years ago and he's gone now. Georgina missed her father but Anna didn't miss the abuse shown to her mother by her step-father. Georgina was only a half-sibling, bonded by her mother to Anna and Kyle but nonetheless the three children loved each other like they were all holey related. It was the morning since the discovery of a body in the preserve that bordered Beacon Hills and everyone apart from the confused Georgina was tense.  
Anna came clattering down the steps in her Goth gear. Dropping various books as her clunky doc martins stomped over the wooden floorboards. It was the first day back at school for the trio and everyone was unprepared, rushing and tripping over things. Mrs. Chambers only rolled her eyes at the panicked teens and continued to butter the toast and replenishing the orange juice supply. The more organized nine-year-old continued to draw a bent flower with detailed petals and coloring that only went slightly outside the lines. Anna donned her hoodie covered in schools and hissing black cats with huge white eyes like saucers. Her own ebony cat, with beckoning blue eyes stared up at her.  
"What?" Anna questioned a little forcefully. She hated the way that cat looked at her sometimes.  
"Meow," the cat – Tybalt – replied. Anna didn't see the point in having a cat but her mom was a Wiccan and liked to have one around. As long as Tybalt made her mom happy, then Anna would at least attempt to tolerate him.  
"Go away," Anna said and gave him a nudge with her foot. The feline hissed before slinking off with a low growl. "Hey, Kyle, I need a ride." Her brother was now a senior this year and loved taunting her about it. Anna kept trying to convince herself junior year would be different but it felt as if nothing had changed and that nothing would. Senior year was Kyle's final year before college and Anna was pretty sure he still had no idea what to do. Kyle was trying to avoid his future for as long as possible but at this rate he was on a collision course of disaster.  
"Whatever," Kyle said shoving toast into the back of his throat to which he gained a sharp 'Hey!' from Georgina who scowled at him. He only ruffled her hair, much to the blond's disgust. Georgina was like an exact replica of her mother, all dirty blond hair and large brown eyes. Anna phone began to ring as she regarded her family fondly. She looked at her caller ID and Carly's name propped up with a cheerful picture of the brunette.  
"Hey girl!" Carly hollered into the receiver. The sound of her best friends voice made a smile play on Anna's lips.  
"Hey, C-lee," Anna replied, using the bad nickname that made Carly roll her eyes on a regular basis. "Can you believe we're juniors?"  
"I know, right?" Carly sighed into the phone. She didn't seem all too enthusiastic about being forced back into the social cliché that was high school. "It feels like nothing's changed."  
Here was her best friend confirming her suspicions. It wasn't Carly's fault, she had no way of knowing that Anna wanted something different, something more this year but at least she had Carly and Erica and wasn't hanging out with the Emo posers. "I hope Erica's okay," Anna continued, "I have spoken to her at all for a few weeks now."  
"She just had a bad seizure, again," Carly soothed her at Anna's seemingly panicked tones, "Her mom told my dad. She's on some new medication and hasn't been herself recently."  
That helped Anna's frantic mind slightly. She was happy that Erica was finally getting some proper treatment and wasn't just being dumped on the waiting list. "Okay," she finally said, "So is she going to be back at school today or-?"  
"I don't know," Carly said sadly, "We'll just have to see."

Bundled in Kyle's car, Anna prepared herself. Mainly because she was prone to throwing fits of laughter whenever she was in the ramshackled Ford Tempo Coupe. Kyle was always doing something to make her giggle even though it wasn't purposeful. Maybe he should become a comedian when he finally leaves school.  
Today his music choice for the first day back was a mix of _Jessie J_ and _The Black Eyed Pea_. He sang loudly and off-key oblivious to the spazing sister. "_…Everybody look to your left" _– he sang, quite dangerously turning his head left – "_Everybody look to your right!"_ – head turned in the opposite direction – "_Can you feel that?"_  
"_Yeah!"_ Anna song-shouted.  
"_We're paying with love tonight! It's not about the money, money, money. We don't need your money, money, money. We just wanna make the world dance! Forget about the Price Tag!"_

Soon the school came into view and Kyle stopped his cat-yowling and turned his sound system down. Beacon Hills High was a rotting building, all crumbling pillars and fractured walls. Filled with broken teenagers all with secrets to hide and each trying – somehow – to just get through each day.  
Okay, so maybe that was a bit of a dramatic description of the hellhole that Anna called school but a vast majority of the time it was an accurate one. Anna took in a deep breath and observed an exchange between one of her companions and Jackson Whittemore. Jackson was no doubt trying to intimidate Scott McCall in some way as the spoilt rich kid climbed out of the Porsche his doormat parents had showered him with. Anna only rolled her eyes and continued to scan the campus, she spotted Stiles Stiliniski and Carly bickering – again – about something but Erica was nowhere to be seen. Anna hoped she was okay.  
She swept her ebony hair over her shoulder to reveal the brownest shade of eyes a person could have. Anna supposed she got her hazel eyes and pale skin from her father because her mother was all glowing tan and dark features, similar to Kyle and Georgina. Anna was the odd one out with naturally mousy brown hair. Kyle tugged at the jagged mess of brown. His liked to change, packed with various different tones from dirty blonde to the deepest maroon. "You ready?" Kle chirped as he killed the engine. Anna nodded and opened her car door.

Someone collided with it. As soon as she got it half-way open, someone's bike smashed into it and it was thrown shut. The boy – Anna thought they were male at least – was knocked backwards onto the rough tarmac of the school parking lot. Horrified, Anna leaped from the car with a yelp as Kyle rushed from the driver's side.  
"Are you okay, man?" Kyle asked the kid, offering a hand to help him up. He took it and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet by the stronger senior.  
"Yeah," the boy muttered. Anna had seen him around before, he was an occasional friend of Erica's, floating in and out often. Anna knew his name but at that moment couldn't remember it. It was a biblical one, she knew that much.  
"I-I'm sorry. You came out of nowhere I didn't see," Anna spluttered, trying not to look like the clumsy fool she felt like. "I mean, you're okay, right? Nothing broken or anything…"  
"I'm fine," he replied, despite the fact he winced when he said it. Anna nodded slightly. "I'm Isaac by the way."  
Anna was a little stunned. She hadn't felt any need to introduce herself but she felt stupid now for not. She just hit him with her brother's car for god's sake! "I'm Anna," she said, holding out her hand for him to shake. After a second's hesitation, he took it and shook back, firm hand wrapping around her fragile one and almost crushing up.  
"Kyle," was all his brother did to introduce himself, that and awkward little wave that looked more like he was hailing a cab. "Hi. Bye."  
Kyle locked his car and went to sprint after some senior girl Anna vaguely knew as Simone. The two of them stood there for a while before Anna asked, "Are you sure you're okay?"  
"I've been worse off," he said, grimacing slightly. He had a limp to him and walked like a kicked dog, eyes mostly downcast. Anna wanted to ask but didn't want to seem like she was prying.  
"Do you wanna walk with me?" Anna was surprised she'd asked that. She wasn't one to usually make a habit out of socializing with people outside her immediate circle but she'd said she'd wanted things to be different this year.  
"I can't sorry," Isaac replied, sounding genuinely apologetic. "Lacrosse try-outs. But you'll be there, right?"  
"Yeah," Anna said, absently, glancing round at the faces of the people who were giving her some curious stares. Anna wasn't concerned. When you've been a Goth girl since freshman year you kind of get used to the looks. "I mean, my friends are trying out this year."  
"Ah," he said, "They any good?"  
Anna's tongue twisted slightly when she had to reply. She ran a distracted hand through her cosmic blue hair. "Sort of." She knew she sounded unconvincing but at least she had tried, right?  
Isaac gave her a funny little smile; she didn't quite understand the meaning of it. "That's what I'm like," Anna laughed politely before allowing him to continue, "So I'll see you then?"  
"Sure," Anna said as she began to stride away, her back partially turned on him, "Bye."  
"Bye," he called back picking up his bike which was so clearly damaged. The chain had come loose and everything. Anna pretended not to notice the mess she'd made and kept walking until she reached the trio that had arranged themselves near the benches.

"Hey guys," she sighed to no one in particular. They all seemed wrapped up in their own worlds' except Carly who couldn't wait to talk to me.  
"Did you just hit the grave-digger with Kyle's car?"  
"He hit me!" Anna objectified, throwing her arms up and whining a similar way Georgina – who was nine years younger than her – would. Carly just laughed and managed to roll her eyes at the same time. It was starting to become her national expression.  
"Let's see this thing then," Stiles commanded Scott, who lifted up his shirt to reveal a bandage over a large.  
"Oh my God!" Anna blurted before she could stop herself. "Are you okay?"  
"Don't feel too sorry for him," Carly said, pulling a face and rubbing toothpaste off her dark skin. "Can you believe these dumbasses went into the woods, in the middle of the night _and _tried to find the body with a killer on the loose?"  
Anna whistled, "Wow." She said, "That really _is _dumb."  
The two boys did nothing to acknowledge they'd heard the girls' conversation, only ploughed on with their own. "It was too dark to see anything really," Scott explained to the three of us. "But I'm pretty sure it was a wolf."  
"A wolf," Carly scoffed, because she like Anna knew there hadn't been any wolves in this part of California for over half a century. "A wolf bit you?"  
"I heard a wolf howling." Scott replied.  
"Uh, No. You didn't." Stiles informed him flatly.  
"What do you mean 'No I didn't' how do you know what I heard?" Scott said, swinging his backpack loosely over one shoulder in a similar way Anna did. Today she hadn't brought her torn thing and had opted for a more stylish yet less practical satchel. Carly was laddered with three separate items. Her backpack, track uniform and Art folder. Anna, Carly and Erica were all on the track team. They weren't very good or, at least, Anna's friends weren't but they had fun and occasionally made it to a championship although this was rare. Anna's track uniform was stuffed into her satchel which was making odd groaning noise under the weight and the eyes of the kitties bulge. The sooner she could get to her locker, the better.  
Stiles gave a hoarse laugh, "_Because_, genius, there haven't been wolves in Beacon Hills for like, sixty years."  
"Really?"  
"Yes, really. There are no wolves in California." Stiles said, giving his friend an incredulous look. Scott, on the other hand, looked relieved.  
"Well," Scott announced to the group as we climbed the steps towards school. "If you guys don't believe me about the wolf then you're not going to believe me when I tell you I found the body."  
Stiles's eyes grew to the side of dinner plates. "You found the body?" the spazing teen exclaimed, "Oh my god that is so frikin' cool! You know this is going to be the best thing that happened to this town since…" as if on cue, the one and only Lydia strutted past the group with two equally as pretty girls – blonde and brunette – in toe. "…the birth of Lydia Martin. Hey Lydia, you look like…you're going to ignore me."  
Carly and Anna slid again into a fit of laughter at Stiles desperate attempts to get Lydia to like him. For all four of us, knock-backs were just a part of daily life.  
"Don't laugh, this is your fault!" he said, addressing the group. "All three of you, dragging me down into your nerd depths. I'm a nerd by association. You've scarlet nerded by you."  
"Suuuuure…" Anna said with a smirk, "We're the reason."  
Carly looped her hand through Anna's and spurred her on. "Come on," she said in unison with the ringing bell that announced first period. "We've got class."

* * *

Class wasn't totally insufferable for Anna but she was happy to be out of it. It was the usual catch up stuff, reading through the semester syllabuses and starting new work. For the most part, Anna was, at beast, bored. Carly passed notes to Anna throughout the class, moaning about the teacher. She was lucky more than once that she didn't get caught by the old bat, but Carly was so accomplished at note passing she had made it an art.  
Second period flew by without complaint and Anna practically ran out of class to dump her heavy books into her locker. A few pieces of metal down from her a girl she didn't recognize was frowning at a map plan and running a shaking hand through her hair. "Can I help?" Anna asked. She had surprised herself again today. Last year she would have turned a blind eye on the new kid but today Anna was feeling generous.  
"Um… do you know where room 212 is?" she asked, shoving the map into my hands. "I can't find it on here.  
"Oh, that's a new room and it won't be on here," Anna explained to the new girl, "It's in the math building, second floor. Oh and if anyone tells you to go to Hallway C, don't buy it. We don't have a Hallway C."  
"Thanks," the new girl said with a warm yet apprehensive smile. People did that a lot around Anna, she wasn't sure why, maybe it was because she was a bit too Goth although she didn't like to be referred to as that. This was her own style and she wore it with pride. "I'm Allison. Allison Argent."  
"Hi, Allison, I'm Anna. I think we have Chemistry together," said Anna, peering at her timetable. "Yep, fifth period."  
"Well, maybe you could show me later," Allison offered, waving absently, "Meet me here after lunch?"  
"Sure." Anna replied and couldn't help the smile that was playing on her lips. In just a day she'd gained too friends or, at the very least, two acquaintances. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe this year was going to be different, after all.

Anna strode over to Scott and Stiles who were leaning against the opposite row of lockers, watching the exchange. Anna was fully aware that she was grinning like an idiot but she just couldn't help it.  
Carly came strolling over, face mixed with exasperation and some mild disgust. "Can someone please tell me how new girl's here all o' five minutes and she's already in Lydia's clique?"  
"Because she's hot," Stiles told her matter of factly, "Hot people work well together."  
Whilst Stiles and Carly bickered and Scott ogled Allison, Anna checked her Facebook for about the bizillionth time. She knew there was no point; she barely went on Facebook anymore because no one ever talked to her apart from family and close friends but this time a new name had popped up in Anna's friend request box. And that name was Isaac Lahey.  
Anna contemplated her phone for a while and then told herself she was behaving as badly as Lydia and just clicked accept. Once she pushed her phone into her pocket she realized everyone was staring at her.  
"What?" she snapped a little too forcefully. All of their eyes seemed to narrow in slow motion.  
"Well," Carly began to recite, "You've had your eyes glued to your phone for the past five minutes look all flirty and starry-eyed-"  
"-You didn't respond to us when we called your name like three times," Stiles pointed out, "and now you're blushing-"  
_"And,"_ Scott said, sucking in a breath as if trying to make it more dramatic, "You didn't encourage Stiles when he said we weren't going to make first line this year, which you usually do."  
Anna scowled at the three of them. "Fine," she huffed, placing to newly-painted finger-nailed hands on the hips of her t-shirt advertising a band none of them had probably heard of. "Stiles you'll probably do it this year. Just…have faith in yourself."  
"Riiiiiiiiiiight," Stiles replied, "Faith is what has kept Lydia Martin saying yes to my dates over the years. Faith is the exact opposite of what I need."

* * *

Anna was sat on the bleachers nearest to Stiles freezing her butt off. She was only here for her friend's sake. Despite it being September, the wind that ripped at the students made California feel more like Christmas time. Hovering in the row above Carly was the new girl, Allison Argent smiling and laughing with Queen Bitch Bee numero uno, Lydia Martin. Okay, maybe she wasn't that bad. Lydia had improved her attitude towards the underdogs of the school this year but only slightly. The Martin girl had been a complete douche in freshman year so Anna expected no better this year but had been mildly surprised.  
Anna gave Allison a little wave too which Lydia looked rather stunned and Allison only gave her a shy little smile in return that Anna could tell was forced.  
Stiles was, as always, on bench. Kyle was a senior and therefore didn't need to tryout and observed on the bleachers opposite Anna and Carly, the fresh-faced new talent that this junior year had to offer. But Scott was getting hounded by the coach and looked like he was going to actually be put in goal. He was really going to play.  
"Well, this is going to be a disaster." Carly remarked as she played with her IPod. Obviously she thought that this try-out was going to be as bad as all the others for their two best friends. Anna, on the other hand was more optimistic and tickled her friend, which made Carly squeal and slap her.  
"Go Scott!" Anna screamed from the sidelines. Scott didn't respond but she could have sworn she saw him roll his eyes under his helmet.

A whistle blew to announce the beginning of the game and Scott nearly dropped his lacrosse stick, snapping his head wildly back and forth as if he was in pain. Anna shifted uncomfortably in her seat at this and then cringed as a ball wacked him straight in the face. Scott was thrown backwards onto ground, landing flat on his back and trembling with embarrassment.  
"Oh, God." Carly grimaced, placing a hand over her eyes to stop herself from seeing the disaster unfolding in front of her. Many of the boys teased and laughed at him, all except one who remained silent. It was the boy that had crashed into Kyle beat-up Tempo. Isaac Lahey. Anna observed him for a while. He didn't interact with the other boys, not once talking to them despite their numerous attempts. Eventually, he caught her eye and she gave him a friendly smile. Perhaps Isaac thought she was smirking at him because the one he returned was nervous and forced yet somehow warm. The smile didn't reach his eyes though. They stayed shadowed, downcast and secretive.

"Who's that?" Anna overheard Allison ask Lydia. She wasn't purposefully trying to snoop but she just couldn't help it, she wondered if Lydia would lie.  
"I don't know," she lied – of course. It's not like they'd all grown up together, all gone to the same elementary and junior high schools. Lydia could be so…. Infuriating at times. Anna didn't know what Stiles saw in her.  
"That's Scott McCall," I decided to inform her, turning slightly. "He's one of my friends. Why do you want to know?"  
"He's in my English class." Allison said with a blush. So that would explain all the long looks and turning red and awkward behavior Scott had been portraying recently. He had a crush. He was in love. So sweet! Anna had been hoping to hook Scott and Carly up but that idea went out the window ten semesters ago. She couldn't help but feel an immense rush of pride at this. As a fellow loser, she knew that this was a moment to be marked in high school history.  
As Anna turned her head back towards the field, Scott caught the ball. Like, actually caught the ball! Carly and Anna jolted from their seats and despite the biting coldness of the atmosphere around them, jumped up and down like two incredibly demented bunnies as Scott caught each and every ball that flew at him. "Go Scott! Go Scott! Go Scott!" Carly began chanting, it wasn't that original but Carly's area of expertize didn't rest in sporting events.

Jackson cut in front of the line, placing his stick across the player that was supposed to go next. As the two girls settled back into their seats, noticing Lydia was doing the same. In fact, both Allison and Lydia seemed mesmerized by Scott and Anna didn't miss the smug, satisfied look she sent Jackson who looked just about ready to murder him.

Carly and Anna braced themselves, holding onto each other for dear life and shutting their eyes tight against the inevitable booing that would soon erupted but they were overjoyed to hear an cataclysm of cheers from all four corners of the bleachers. Scott had caught Jackson's shot. SCOTT HAD CAUGHT JACKSON'S SHOT!

Stiles came rushing towards them and wrapped them in a suffocating embrace – each arm wrapped around the throats of the two girls. Once Stiles let go, they dashed onto the field, almost hyperventilating with excitement. Carly practically threw herself at Scott and hugged him as if there was no tomorrow. Scott could surprisingly support her weight, which he hadn't been able to do in the past. Not that Carly was fat but Scott wasn't exactly the fittest guy in the world all thought that statement had just been pretty much contradicted by his performance on the field.  
"You were amazing!" Carly babbled, shaking him. "How did you _do that?"  
_ Scott only shrugged, "Luck, I guess."


	2. 2: Wind In The Trees

**song that inspired this chapter: Mikky Ekko - We Must Be Killers **

****_"And the wind in the trees_  
_ Singing do you believe?_  
_And we all know how to fake it baby_  
_ And all we know is gone_  
_ We must be killers."_

* * *

Anna tagged along when Scott and Stiles returned to the site of last night's incident. She was only with them right now instead of hanging out with Carly or Erica because Kyle had ditched her for Simone and Carly didn't have a car. So, instead of enjoying her Monday night she was forced to tolerate the two boys who were blowing everything out of proportion. "I don't know what it was," Scott replied honestly as the trio trekked through a stream. Anna didn't have to be careful, her heavy gothic boots prevented any water splashing up her legs and onto her fishnet stockings but she was fully aware this would probably ladder them. "It was like I had all the time in the world to catch the ball."  
Hopping past them, Anna scrambled up a steep hill before gravity could act and started moaning at the peak. "Why didn't I just walk home?" she huffed to herself, kicking vegetation from her path. She'd left her jacket in the Jeep and her bare arms where taking an aggressive volley of attacks from the harsh frozen winds. She pulled them closer and stared at the boys who were lost in their own little world. "And that's not the only weird thing. I can hear stuff I shouldn't be able to hear. Smell things." This got Stiles's attention but all Anna could think about was Track tomorrow. Each year every student had to re-audition to keep their place on the Track team. By some minor miracle, Carly and Erica – the slackers as they were known by Coach Remington – had stayed in the team for freshman year but Anna had a feeling that this year with all the brand new talent was going to be a huge challenge.

"Smell things? Like what?" Stiles continued to probe although Anna was only vaguely aware of this. She had a weird feeling, one that ran from the tip of her spine upwards, like they were being watched or followed. She briefly scanned the trees but saw nothing but _more trees._  
"Well like the mint mojito gum in your pocket," Stiles looked as if he was about to protest but only rooted through his pockets skeptically. After only a few moments of searching, he pulled out a small sachet of chewing gum. "and the strawberry and cream scented shampoo Anna used this morning."  
Anna paused where she was and gave him a funny look. She didn't recall her shampoo ever coming up in any conversations today so that would mean Scott was telling the truth despite its impossibilities. "So this all started with a bite?" Stiles asked out to him.

"What if it's like an infection, like my body's flooding with adrenaline before I go into shock or something?" Scott asked back to them.

"You know what? I actually think I've heard of this." Stiles said out to the both of them. The two friends exchanged a perplexed look before their eyes darted back to Stiles. Anna wasn't all too interested in Stiles suggestion but if it would get Scott to stop talking about things that made no sense to her logical brain than she was willing to play along. "It's a specific kind of infection." Scott's eyes widened in surprise whereas Anna's became as narrow as slits. Obviously, she didn't buy it. Stiles had a knack for bending the truth, even though a majority of the time he was doing it for the right reasons.  
"Are you serious?"  
"Yeah," Stiles continued despite the fact Anna was scowling furiously at him, "I think it's called… lycanthropy."  
Anna smothered an amused snort. She should have known that Scott read so little to actually know what the phrase was. "But it only happens once a month," Stiles cautioned in a serious voice, placing one hand on his cocked hip and wiping his nose with the other.

"Once a month?"

"Yeah," Anna baited, trying not to laugh, "On the night of the full moon." Then both teens threw back their heads and howled, which made realization flicker across Scott's face followed by a flash of annoyance. He pushed Stiles away, causing him to stumble into Anna who squealed at him and staggered.  
"Hey there could be something seriously wrong with me." Scott challenged the both of them, Anna giggled again but was cut short by Scott's wounded look.  
"I know, you're a werewolf!" Stiles replied, "Okay, obviously I'm kidding but if you see me in shop class melting all the silver I can find it's because Friday's a full moon."

Once they'd finally reached the place where Scott had supposedly lost his inhaler neither that item nor the corpse he'd apparently found were anywhere to be seen. Anna sighed as Scott looked dumbfound. "It was right here. I swear. I saw it, then the deer came running, then I dropped my inhaler."

"Maybe the killer moved the body-?" Stiles suggested, if not half-heartedly. Anna began rooting through the foliage, in a squat position it was mildly uncomfortable and she did overbalance more than once, catching herself on an aching wrist.  
A moment later, Stiles appeared beside her to help her in the search. Once or twice hands brushed briefly but both teens just blushed shyly and pulled away from each other, as if shocked, in an abrupt manner.  
"If he did, I hope he left my inhaler," Scott grumbled, "Those things are like 80 bucks each."

Anna couldn't help notice how soft his skin had felt under hers, light as the brush of a butterfly's wing or the way he'd looked at her, just for a second, an expression filled with longing.

His gasp snapped her from her thoughts. Anna looked up to see a man stood in front of their gang.

Anna sprang to her feet in an inelegant manner; never taking her eyes off him. Something about him seemed…unnatural. It made her squirm inwardly to the base of her spine. The guy was twenty-something though his eyes seemed aged or at least more experienced than his younger body. He was clad in black leather and had dark features that Anna couldn't make out too well from a distance.

She would have to be dead on the inside not to notice this guy was hot but something about him gave her the creeps, she couldn't placing it, exactly. It was more like a gut instinct. "What are you doing here?" he snarled and for a few minutes the group just stared. "Huh?" was the reply that slipped from her lips. She cursed her shallow behavior and allowed her jaw to tighten.  
"This is private property." He spat, for a second the four of them were locked in unwavering observation, squaring each other up and laying out plans in their heads if this all went awry.  
"We're sorry," Stiles finally managed to tell him, "We didn't know."

"Yeah," Anna said trying to reinforce the argument but by the look he gave her, her opinion wasn't wanted. "We were just looking for…" she trailed off as the stranger stuffed his hands into his pockets. Anna froze, expecting him to pull out a gun or knife or some other weapon, he looked like the type to do that. Instead, he tossed something through the air that Scott caught effortlessly. Anna's head reeled with ideas of grenades but when he uncurled his fist, it was the inhaler, completely intact.

By the time, the three teens could tear their eyes away from the medicinal tool, the man had vanished. Anna scowled but grabbed both their arms and propelled them the other way. "Come on you two," she said, more than a little confused. "Enough trouble for one day."

Stiles didn't seem to want to leave or in fact, be able to. He seemed a little shocked and a little excited and mischievous too, which always worried Anna. It didn't really matter to her, as long as he kept to her and Scott's pace. "Do you guys know who that was?" Stiles grinned.  
"Derek Hale." Anna informed him bluntly, "He's only a couple years older than us. Why do you care?"  
"Because his family all burned to death in a fire ten years ago."  
"Wonder what he's doing back?" Scott pondered thoughtfully for a moment.  
"Whatever it is," Anna replied, bracing her arms against another onslaught from the icy winds, whistling through the many trees of the Beacon Hills preserve. "It can't be anything good."

* * *

Carly Hamilton wasn't a quitter. She hadn't quit when she'd run for class president, despite the more popular, more attractive competition. She hadn't given up hope when her mom had divorced her dad and left the two of them in the run-down shack they called a home and she'd never stopped believing that one day she would get Eminem's signature.

Not giving up hadn't exactly got her where she wanted to be in life but it had given her four awesome best friends, a good relationship with her dad and straight A's which was more than she could say for the vast majority of the population of Beacon Hills High School.

Carly was an only child and relied on her friends to be surrogate siblings. Sometimes that worked, but Carly still hadn't forgiven herself for not noticing Anna's 'situation' that she'd been in for six months but right now, she didn't want to think about that right now. Right now, she wanted to focus on tonight. Where she could have a massive bitch with Erica and Anna, eating enough cheese and biscuits (and chocolate) to feed the five-thousand. Swigging stolen liquor from her father's supply and drowning their sorrows.  
Erica arrived first, of course. She looked exhausted and still sick but better than she had been. Back before the meds, she'd been a haggard shell, prone to unannounced fits that had Anna and Carly thinking fast a lot of the time. The two girls had even taking an emergency training course to support their friend. Carly didn't hold it against Erica, she would never blame her for something she was born with but the seizures had affected Carly's life, too.  
"Hey girl!" Carly said in the cheeriest voice she could muster, "Damn! I am just loving your shirt. Is that from Topshop?"  
"No, it's from that new boutique. You know? The one on Calaver street."  
"Haven't seen it," Carly said honestly, "Yet." Both girls giggled as Carly offered her a whisky shot. Her father was out, working late down at the station. That's how Carly and Stiles knew each other so well, because their fathers were best friends. Stiles and Carly had been the best of friends since birth and both she and the two boys had formed a tight friendship since they were four years old. Three years later, Anna and Erica joined in their games of cops and robbers and who done-it and soon enough the five of them together were inseparable.

Then came high school and Erica had drifted from the pack, preferring solitude to messing around in class and monthly detentions. Regrettably, Carly hadn't done much to stop her, too engrossed in studying and exams to really notice that Erica and the group where beginning to grow apart. Now, she tried every tactic to bring Erica back to civilization. Slumber parties were awesome and now she had the house to herself, she could tell she was going to enjoy the night.

Ten minutes later, when Carly and Erica had spent most their time catching up, the doorbell rang, announcing Anna's arrival. Carly swung her legs off the couch and padded into the hallway. She swung the door open and hugged the girl, who was donned in fresh clothes, making Carly feel a little insecure in her ancient pair of track pants and bright pink vest.

As soon as Anna got through the door, she acted as if it was her own home. Carly didn't mind, because it was as good as, seeing as Anna spent half her life here. Anna preferred being outdoors in the fresh air than copped up indoors sat on the computer or in front of the TV. The complete opposite of Carly who loved staying close to home. Anna dived bombed the couch, making Erica scream.

An hour or so later and the girl had raided the DVD collection, opting to find the scariest film they could. Now they were all curled on the sofa – disappointed at _Texas Chainsaw Massacre._  
"Who was your first, Anna?" Erica asked her from behind a pillow. Anna hadn't been listening to their conversation, to busy cringing at a particularly gory and frightening bit in the movie.  
"Huh?" Anna asked blearily, rubbing her tired eyes like an exhausted four-year-old.  
"Who was your first kiss?" Carly pushed, swigging at her lemon schnapps. She shuddered at the taste. "Ugh." She continued, "Mine was Stiles. We were seven and I kissed him under an apple tree in his backyard. His lips tasted like potato salad."  
Erica giggled with Anna until their sides hurt. "Gimme," she said, shaking her palm towards the schnapps. Erica swigged it and pulled a face like she'd sucked on an actual lemon.  
"Please tell me we are not talking about this," Anna replied as she was offered the bottle. She took it, gratified for an excuse and sucked on it like mother's milk. It repulsed her taste buds but still she drank. "Oh. My. God." She finally coughed, wiping her tongue on her t-shirt and passing it back to Carly, "That is god awful. I don't even know why I just drank it."  
"Stop changing the subject," Carly moaned, "Who was it?"  
"Honestly?"  
"No, I want you to lie to my face, dumbass," Carly snapped, Anna frowned at her and threw a cushion at her. Carly chocked in mid swallow and placed the bottle back on the ground calmly before giving what she got.  
Erica put both hands up in a silent plea. "Come on, guys. Stop it." Both Carly and Anna exchanged a mischievous look and slapped their pillows into Erica at once. The girl look mortified but grabbed her own pillow and began hitting them in rapid succession. Soon the girls were having a full-blown pillow fight. Leaping over furniture and scrambling into different rooms to get away.

"Okay, I give up." Carly finally told thin air, "I'm going to bed." She grabbed her pillow and duvet and headed for the stairs, yanking it up each step until finally she reached the top. She turned to see Anna and Erica hovering behind her. Her room had a double that could just about fit all three of them if they squeezed up. Anna yawned, signaling the end of the night.

* * *

That night, Anna couldn't sleep. Whilst her two best friends snored incredibly loudly around her, Anna lay staring at the ceiling. Her mind was reeling from the encounter with Derek Hale and other factors that gave her a headache. The main one was Isaac Lahey. The way he'd looked at her, so miserable it made her wonder if he had any friends. She seen him talking to Erica a few times and spotted him hanging out outside of school with Boyd once but Lahey was a… Anna didn't know how to phrase it. A loner, maybe? He certainly spent most of his time alone.

He probably had friends, Anna consoled herself, and everyone had at least on friend, right? She was on the edge of the bed nearest the computer that hummed away to itself in the corner. Careful not to wake her friends, Anna swung her feet out of bed and padded silently to the ancient console, the carpet beneath her feet muffling her steps.

She logged on, years of friendship providing her with Carly's password, explicitly yet affectionately named: _ItsCarlyBeyatches. _Carly would not be mad at Anna for using her computer. In their friendship it was, what's mine is yours and what's yours is mine. Anna opened Facebook just for the sake of it. As per usual she had only four notifications, all from either Erica or Carly.

Just as she was about to log off, she heard the message ping. She quickly muted it so it wouldn't wake Erica who could hear a pin drop from a mile away. She looked at the name and was stunned for one, to see someone on here at a late a time as she was and also to see that that person was Isaac Lahey. She hurriedly typed a reply and was soon engrossed in conversation, laughing here and frowning there. Anna can't remember how she managed to fall asleep in Carly's uncomfortable computer chair.

* * *

Carly was up way too early the next morning. School didn't start until nine but when the clock struck five she found she couldn't feign sleep anymore. She wriggled under the covers and decided not to wake Erica, who was obviously deeply enthralled in a happy dream by the goofy smile on her face. But Anna wasn't in bed; she was face planting the keyboard. Hesitantly but with a smirk, she wandered over to the computer. Carly logged it off but not before she stole a glance at the Facebook page.  
"Up all night talking to the grave-digger?" she asked her unconscious friend, "You're such a sucker, Chambers." She said, closing the computer down and planting a kiss on her best friend's forehead. "Sweet dreams."


	3. 3: Just One Big Shakespearean Tragedy

**song that inspired this chapter: Taylor Swift - Love Story**

_"We were both young when I first saw you."  
_

* * *

"Bye girls!" Deputy Hamilton called, waving from his SUV. An old Stones record elapsed most of his goodbye but it was appreciated nonetheless. Well, at least Erica and Anna appreciated it, they thought as the car rolled away down the street. Carly just looked embarrassed.  
"You know, you still haven't answered my question from last night…" Carly stated, sipping on her morning Red Bull to try and compensate for three hours of missed sleep. An exhausted Anna was having trouble following the conversation and despite having three foul-tasting energy drinks before lunch, still felt like she'd ran a marathon and missed a month of slumber. Her brain was problematic in adjusting to the blare of the Californian sun which she was pissed about, seeing as the day that she actually bought mittens, the sun was burning as brightly as the star it was. She also couldn't stop her brain from reeling from all of yesterday. Derek Hale, Scott's immaculate performance and the biggie: Isaac.

'_You're really good at lacrosse,' she'd wrote, despite the fact she'd barely seen him play. He hadn't replied for a while. The house had groaned in the night, making Anna feel incredibly vulnerable. She'd wanted to write so much more, all the thoughts swirling around in her head: 'I need someone right now.' Or 'I think we should date.' Or to put it so simply and bluntly. 'Hold me.' _

_Teen years were lonely and Anna didn't want to be young anymore. Youth were fragile and needy and hurting. The older people like Kyle were strong. Like wolves: calculated, intelligent and icy as the Canadian winds. Anna would make a bad wolf. She was a loner… and the lone wolf never survives without a pack…_

"ANNA!" screamed a voice in her ear. She jolted, jarring her entire body with a dull ache of restlessness. She flushed red with embarrassment, anger and annoyance. She didn't know where those thoughts came from. It seemed she couldn't stop making animalistic comparisons last night and now the recesses of her subconscious where punishing her for it.  
"Huh?" she said in a detached way followed by a yawn, realizing she'd been spoken to.  
"Last night," she continued, "You stayed up all night talking to the grave-digger."  
Anna froze mid-step and turned to her friends with a slightly slack jaw. "I didn't- I didn't know you knew about that," then Anna added, a little more annoyed, "Stop calling him that," she scowled, "He has a name, you know."  
Erica raised a visible eyebrow. "That you know so well?"

Anna couldn't seem to form any response to the statement. She just shifted uncomfortably on her feet, biting her lip and begging for a distraction.

Just as Anna was about to open her mouth and probably say something she regretted, a silver Porsche slid up beside the three girls'. Jackson's car door hit Erica's leg, causing her to stumble away.  
"Careful Erica," Jackson sneered at the blonde, "Wouldn't want you to seize all over me."

"Why don't you watch where you park, asshole!" yelled Carly with her usual ferocity, rounding on the spoilt douchebag.  
"Well, if it isn't inhuman Hamilton," laughed Jackson, "I heard they gave your dad a raise. How much is it now? A quarter? A dime?"  
Carly practically snarled. "Go to hell, Whittemore," Carly pretended to ponder the thought for a moment, "Oh wait, you're already there."

That hit a nerve. Anna could see it clearly plastered on his face as if he was wearing a neon sign dangling from his neck and it gave her a twisted kind of satisfaction.

Jackson quickly regained his composure and smiled a smirk that unsettled Anna in its intimidation. "See you around, _Carlotta." _And with the invocation of the forbidden name, Jackson strolled calmly away, winking at Anna as he went.

Anna winced slightly as her friend gripped her upper arm and propelled her the other way. Carly had a hand that seemed made from titanium. She may have been small in stature, looking innocent in skin tight ripped jeans and flowery shirts but there was a hurricane raging within that tiny body that was just waiting to be unleashed on an unsuspecting mean girl or idiot jock.

"Ignore _it._" Erica consoled her, rubbing her arm gently. Anna still wasn't quite sure what had happened. Had Jackson just… winked at her?"

* * *

Anna was trying to get into her chemistry class when she encountered two jocks she didn't know all too well but seemed to know her pretty good. She was just trying to get in when the boy placed a muscled arm in front of the doorway. "Password." He grinned in a fake Eastern European accent. Anna gave him a long glare and when he didn't get the picture she just said, "Get out of my way."  
She really didn't have time for this, she just wanted to get through this period so she could go and see if Scott made the team. The boy only chuckled and didn't move. Anna grabbed his arm and yanked it away, he jolted from her, as if shocked. "_Ugh!_ It _touched_ me!"  
Anna didn't respond even though she got a rush of anger and pretended not to hear the second boy say, "She's such a freak. Can you believe Lahey likes her?"  
To which the first boy replied, "They're both freaks. Why wouldn't they like each other?"

Anna's chemistry partner today was a girl called June. She and June knew each other but it was rare if they ever talked about anything related to outside of school. June and her were just two very different people. June was a ditzy, blonde cheerleader and Anna was… hell, she didn't know. A Goth? A freak? Or loner or maybe loser?

Throughout the lesson though, she was able to tolerate June going on about the pains of being a popular girl and not getting picked on. Anna could not stop staring at Isaac who was being under shadowed by the bantering pair of Stiles and Carly.

She caught his eye, only briefly because he shied away from her but not before Anna caught a glimpse of an aggressive purple bruise forming. Anna was concerned but consoled herself that it was probably lacrosse, forgetting how her mother had been when she'd been taking the beatings.

Because coincidences like that didn't just happen. Not in real life.

* * *

The second day of lacrosse try-outs and Scott's chance to play first line. The air was vapid with anticipation and apprehension.

Cheerleaders were out in force today, Anna Chambers noticed as they practiced their intolerably cute routines, trying to catch an eye of a hot lacrosse player. June was there, taking the heat from Lydia who was, so stereotypically, the captain of the cheerleading squad.

June even gave Anna a little wave, which was surprising but was soon collared by the other girls who sneered from a distance at one of Beacon Hills only Goths (not to be confused with the Emo posers). Carly Hamilton had removed her headphones for this said try-out. These were the important parts, what could make or break a player. And her best friend was either going to become a talented athlete or just another reject.

Scott and Stiles came strolling towards them late, as usual. Stiles looked like he was desperately trying to get Scott to listen to him but despite his best attempts, Scott continued to ignore him.

As the coach rallied the team, Carly fiddled with her skirt, trying to pull it pass her knees. Anna was breathing nervously, "I'm sure they'll be fine," she was consoling herself, "They'll make the cut."

Carly wasn't so convinced. By the look of things, the game was seeming a little dead even if the preppy cheerleaders were trying to give them more team spirit, Carly thought the girls on the side-lines would appear as more of a distraction.

Scott appeared to get the ball, which made them both jump to their feet with anticipation, although they slipped back when a player smashed into Scott, knocking him to his feet with an audible crunch as the padding hit hard dirt.

"This is going to be a disaster." Carly remarked, burying her forehead in her hands. She was peaking at the game through slits in between her fingers. Scott alined next to Jackson. _Please, please, please_, a voice in her head kept repeating, _Don't let him screw this up._

Scott was off, keeping good control of the ball. As he got close to the first defender, the tiny, nagging tone in her head was screaming.

Then something amazing happened. Scott side-stepped the defender. A puzzled face pulled its way across Anna's face as Scott by-passed another player, by then both girls were on their feet, cheering wildly, willing him to hear their support and be inspired by it.

A trio of defenders came into view and just as hope seemed lost completely. Scott leaped high into the air and flipped over him, the momentum allowing him to throw the ball into the back of the neck.

The lacrosse field exploded. Cheers erupted and the two girls practically spontaneously combusted with awe, shock and happiness. Stiles however seemed troubled and Jackson… we'll Anna thought she saw jealously sparkle in those huge blue eyes.

* * *

After lunch, Allison and Anna were leaning against their lockers discussing the party. The locker buddies had grown somewhat closer after the past day or so since Allison Argent to the run-down and mysterious town of Beacon Hills. Anna was awaiting the arrival of her friend, Carly. Erica didn't hang out with them during school which was not so strange seeing as they barely had any classes together apart from chemistry.

"So… you'll be there, right?" Allison asked the girl, trying to make the question seem casual although Anna sensed her internal restlessness. To be truthful, Anna was really torn. She had been invited by curtsey thanks to the position of her high-ranking brother, an ex-captain and star player on the lacrosse team but she didn't want to abandon Carly, who was uninvited to Jackson's party for obvious reasons to a Friday night alone. She could just picture her friend now, curled on the couch swigging on a bottle of cheap vodka and putting on girly romances so she could laugh at and harshly criticise them.

"I-I don't know. Maybe?" she offered, trying to sound neutral. She watched Allison's face fall as Lydia arrived. Lydia was polite enough not to openly tell her to piss off but he eyes where unwelcoming and her body language was closed and defensive. In the end, Anna took the hint and strolled awkwardly off.

* * *

As soon as Anna opened the door, the sounds of home wafted through the air. "_Mom!_" shrieked the voice of an annoying little girl, "Kyle said I was adopted!"  
"Kyle!" the Ohio native calmly replied, "Stop teasing your sister." Anna stepped over the threshold, happy to be in familiar surroundings but rubbing her temple as a headache began to spring there. Entering the kitchen, the decorative theme of the Midwest was almost suffocating, with plates covered in kittens and farm landscapes elapsing most of the spare wall, quaint little ornaments of American landmarks on every spare surface and colourful doilies.

The woman turned her head slightly, making the blonde hair swish on her head. It was held back in a messy bun but a few strands had come free. She wasn't old, a lady of thirty-seven who looked younger than she was, having the ability to pass for someone in their late twenties due to a strict beauty program in her teens and early, unfair, acne as an adolescent. Her belief in Wicca was something she had been brought up with and something she was passionate about. She was resilient and highly intelligent but after gaining her degree, had given up her dream of a career in bioengineering to raise a family. Now she worked at the local bookstore she owned, with every type of romance novel a lonely female could want, and still single but she refused to move into menopause without finding a heart that didn't walk away.

"Hello, hun," she said, creaming the butter and sugar together for her state famous muffins. The Beacon Hills baking competition was just around the corner, and she held the title every year without fail, "could you pass me the flour."

Anna padded over to the cupboards and passed over the sack, placing her keys down on the countertop. "Mom?" she said, a little nervously, "Can I ask you something?"  
The mother must have sensed her daughter's nerves because she stopped what she was doing and turned to her, "Is this about your father?"  
Anna stood there with blank surprise. She hadn't been expecting that at all. Her father hadn't been something Elena Chambers had been willing to talk about until recently, past relationships, even when that partner was the father of two of her children and buried in Beacon Hills cemetery, wasn't something she openly discussed with two teenagers.

"Um-n-no," Anna stuttered as her mom wiped her hands across a battered, well-worn apron. "I- I wanted to ask you for a-advice. You know about that party-?"

"Um-huh." Elena replied, not bothering with a real answer. She didn't totally agree with the idea of her babies dancing around unsupervised with a bunch of other horny, out-of-control teenagers but she did want her children to be independent, didn't she? She didn't want them to be totally boring by the time they got to college.

"I don't know what to do," Anna sighed into her hands, "I mean, I could go but I would be kind of a loner, they'd be no one there to talk to. Well, Scott and Allison but they'd want alone time and Kyle is just going to ditch me again. And then there's Carly…"  
"Ah," Elena quoted, licking the mixture off her spoon and pulling a face, _"Thy friendship makes us fresh." _

A smile creped across Anna's face. "Shakespeare," she noted. Her mother was obsessed with it. She even named her cat after her favourite character in her favourite play. Obviously, Elena's favourite play was Romeo and Juliet, as an owner of a bookstore that was holey dedicated to the romantic genre. Tybalt was an antagonist in the play and hot-tempered which fitted the black cat's personality entirely. He was also the "Prince of Cats" which was a clever name, Anna approved. "Let me guess, Henry the fifth?"  
Elena looked offended. "Henry the eighth."

"That doesn't really answer my question, you know," Anna said, rubbing her eyes but was cut short by Georgina's screams.  
"Mom! _MOM!" _she bawled, stamping into the room with tears streaming down her face. Anna knew she was faking and gave her a hard scowl. "Mommy," she sobbed, "Kyle took my pony!"

"Kyle Cassio Prospero Chambers!" Elena yelled, as Anna winced at the absurd name, similar to her own. "You get down here right now!"

"I was just gunna stich it up," Kyle said, passing it back an indicating to holes made over the years by various abuse.

"No you weren't," Georgina hissed, "You were going to blow it up!"

"I was joking!"

"ENOUGH!" Elena snapped, gripping them both by a shoulder, which was exhausting because one of them was smaller and one was taller than herself. "Kyle, act your age! And Georgina, stop tadalin'!"

Kyle and Georgina sulked from the room, bickering as they went. Elena turned back to her baking but crushed her finger under the bowl. "Dang it!" she shouted, barely able to contain herself from cursing. She waved the digit in the air for a while.

"Can I help?" Anna asked, although all she wanted to do was go up to her room and forget the word for a while with a little _Imagine Dragons. _

"No," her mother hissed a little to forcefully. "I mean, I'm fine, darlin', just go upstairs and get some rest. You have a party tonight."


	4. 4: We're Holding On and Letting Go

**Song that inspired this chapter: **We're Holding On and Letting Go – Ross Copperman

_It's everything you wanted, it's everything you don't_  
_ It's one door swinging open and one door swinging closed_  
_ Some prayers find an answer_  
_ Some prayers never know_  
_ We're holding on and letting go_

* * *

Anna was curled up on her bed, gripping the Hunger Games with a passion and playing some slow songs from her playlist to help her relax, when she finally decided she could no longer hermit. Kyle had warned her that she had an hour or he was leaving without her. That gave her a few minutes to assess her options and come up with an answer. If she stayed here, she'd be missing one of the greatest parties of the year even if most of the people where major league assholes; but if she went, then she would be letting down Team Carly and would have to tolerate Jackson for the entire evening, a concept even Lydia struggled with. It did have its benefits if she went, Carly and Erica could spend some quality time together and – if Erica was scarce – Carly and Stiles could bond. The thought made her smile and frown inwardly. Despite the fact Stiles and Carly behaved like enemies at best sometimes, they really did have some chemistry.

Anna couldn't help but feel jealous at the connection they had even though it was wrong and Carly was her best friend and they both deserved to be happy; Anna was envious that no one had shown her that kind of emotion.

_Isaac cares, _she consoled herself, even if she wasn't totally comfortable with the thought yet, _He cares about me._

"Yo! A, are you coming? 'Cause if not them I'm leaving in ten!" Kyle called from the other side of her door. Anna jumped to her feet and ignored the buzz of her computer as Carly tried to summon her for a video chat. She would think of something to say tomorrow when they went to find out if they'd made the track team this year. She wrestled on a dress that still fit from freshman year. Anna was one of those people who could eat enough to feed an army, do barely any exercise and still stay thin. It was both a blessing and a curse.

The dress was a little black number that stopped just above her knees. It wasn't revealing, or skin-tight, or anything. It swirled round her kneecaps, tickling the skin there. Anna threw her hair back into a ponytail, hopping the sleek hair didn't look too messy bunched up in a knot. Finally, she applied some subtle make-up and slipped on a pair of black Converse. She stilled looked Goth, which was comforting, but she looked a lot older than she felt.

Skipping downstairs, she felt a little overdressed but, then again, Kyle had that affect on most people. He was dressed in his best leather jacket, Anna supposed, because this one was only slightly frayed at the edges. Underneath he had a shirt on – an actual shirt and not just a beaten old t-shirt! – Work pants and a pair of walking boots which looked ridiculous against the rest of his outfit but Anna just supposed he had inherited a Southern laziness from his mother's side of the family.

"You look like a redneck," Anna commented, "Or you where involved in some kind of explosion at the leather factory."

Kyle flipped her off and went to grab his keys from an old ash tray where various other little items where placed like: more keys, a receipt from Topshop, a thimble, two tickets from an arcade the children had only ever been to once and an out-of-date Wal-Mart coupon. Nothing like a bit of the Midwest in every home.

"Where's mom?" Anna asked a little relieved that she wasn't home yet. No doubt that even the laid-back Shakespearean-obsessed Wiccan would be judging her outfit. Anna didn't really care, it was a party so she should let her hair down, figuratively speaking of course.

"Working late at the shop and Georgina's with some friend," Kyle replied as they existed the house into the cold night. Anna shivered as a frozen wind raced down her spine. She could see her breath captured in time as it drifted up in front of her face. Anna wished she'd brought a jacket but sparred no thought about going back for it, Kyle was impatient enough already.

We bundled into the Tempo, _Maroon 5 _playing with a persistent rhythm. Kyle tapped the steering wheel with a recurring pattern which told Anna he was incredibly jittery. "Nervous?" she asked in a tired tone.

"It's just…Simone, you know," he said stretching out the kinks in his neck, "I really think she's the one. It's just…. Something about her, she makes me feel so…" he trailed off hopelessly, pulling a hand through his hair. Anna didn't know the tall farm girl very well but from how Kyle described her she was very pretty and also very intelligent but not that popular. That combination wasn't Kyle's usual type and maybe that had been the problem. Anna hopped he didn't screw this up; she seemed like a nice girl and with Kyle's track history with relationships…. _God_. She was starting to sound like her mom.

* * *

Pulling up to the party the atmosphere was surprisingly sophisticated. Everyone appeared to behaving like adults, or at least the majority where. A few people where making out in the corners and getting a little touchy feely but most where just talking with friends or swaying to _Pumped-Up Kicks _or some other catchy tune. Everyone was dressed similar to Anna that quelled her nerves a little.

Kyle jumped from the Tempo Coupe and raced up the steps to meet a girl dressed in a cliché spaghetti strap dress at the top, who looks totally out of place in Southern Californian.

_This was such a bad idea,_ Anna thought, _I knew this was a stupid idea._ She swallowed the lump forming in her throat and bounds up the steps towards the party. Beside her, the impatient _click, click, click _of high heels sound on the stone and Allison and Scott rear their heads.

They looked happy, smiling together and incredibly hyper. They were sweaty, the way you got when you stayed at parties for too long and they had just been here for few seconds. Like Anna, the couple wasn't hard-core party-goers but at least they were trying to make an effort.

Once she got into it, Anna realized the 'party' was dull without someone to kiss and she soon wanted to be home re-reading the Hunger Games for the fifth time. She checked her phone, unlocking it with ease and lazily flicking through it aimlessly. When she looked up again, she met the eyes of the man from the other night in the forest, his face bathed in warm firelight. They only briefly held the exchange and he gave her a curt nod of acknowledgment before his eyes flickered elsewhere. Anna followed his gaze. It rested on Scott who was swaying to the sleepy music. When her eyes returned to the place he'd been standing, Derek Hale was gone.

Anna frowned inwardly and dashed to the place he had been only moments ago, she searched the shadows, leaking cold vapors, a small rebellion against the roaring flames but the man is nowhere to be seen. This is intensely strange.

Just as Anna thought things couldn't get much crazier, Scott suddenly began stumbling away from Allison as if ill. He stumbles away and although Anna has a pressuring feeling to follow her friend to see if he's okay, she also wanted to go home. Screw it. Scott had seemed tired before, maybe he just had a migraine.

Anna sighed at the disappointing night and dialed a number she knew well. He picked up on the first ring, "Yo," Stiliniski shouted into the phone as a means of greeting.

"Hey Stiles," she yawned into the receiver, she heard him give a tired sigh.

"Let me guess. You're stranded at the snooze-fest and need a ride?" that made Anna laugh. He knew her far too well. It would be a disadvantage if they lived in the Seam and were picked as tributes. _You're detouring off subject, Chambers, _she could practically hear Carly's voice say, _Random Hunger Games quotes have nothing to do with our situation. _Carly just did not understand Fandoms. She was into watching a show or reading a book, not becoming obsessed with it. She had no idea what she was missing.

"Please. For me," she felt a smile weave into her features as Stiles sighed. She heard his keys jangle before he responded. Then there was a shift in his tone when he answered again, more panicked, as if he'd just realized what time it was or something.

"Okay," he said half-heartedly, "But we need to find Scott. Like now."

She frowned, "He just left the party."

Stiles pulled in a sharp breath as if Anna had committed an act of blasphemy in a room full of Catholics. "Oh. Oh, crap."

* * *

Stiles drove at illegal speeds most of the way to Scott's house, making her squeal and grip the dashboard. All the sharp turns and aggressive speeds where taking their toll on the Jeep, making the battered piece of tortured metal scream. "What is going on?" Anna demanded more than once but Stiles wouldn't give her a proper answer, only told her it was the full moon and Scott had changed.  
"Changed how?" he was beginning to scare her. He was acting like a bit of a maniac at the moment.

"Do you remember the joke the other day?" he asked, yanking the steering wheel violently and grunting with the exertion. She nodded meekly.

"Not so much a joke anymore," Stiles said with a slight grin that slipped easily from his face when he saw Anna's hard set expression. She thought he was joking. That he was teasing her and soon he would laugh in her face and call her an idiot. Unfortunately for them, everything that was happening was very, very real.

"I know you think I like vampires and werewolves but you don't have to be so mean about it…" she said, closing her eyes and leaning against the headrest.

Stiles scowled at her harshly. "I wish this was a joke," he concluded, with stone-cold seriousness. "But it isn't and Scott needs us right now."

Anna looked at him for a long time. She had never heard him that serious since they had been children. It was impossible, even a fantasy reader like herself knew that. Yet, still. She felt compelled to trust Stiles, her best friend. She knew him so well that after all these years Anna had even started to smell like him, everyone in their little quartet had begun to smell like one another eventually but his smell was the most predominate one that clung to all her clothes, all her personal items. She'd just shrugged it off as coincidence but what if it wasn't? Maybe it was some kind of sign.

_Oh, stop being so stupid! He's your best friend. _Her inner voice was most probably right, it was a vast majority of the time. But she couldn't shake that superstitious feeling that perhaps they were fated. It was an awkward, idiotic, old-world idea and totally off subject.

He slammed the brakes down, making the Jeep lurch violently and pushing Anna in her seat so hard, her seatbelt jarred her shoulders. She rubbed at the wounded area as he asked, "You okay?" is such an unconcerned manner, Anna growled at him low under her breath.

"Fine." She sulked as he dived up the car. Before the boy could race up Scott's driveway. "Wait!" she yelled, trying to pull on the rusty hinges of the aged Jeep. "I'm coming with you!"

He grinned at her, a mischievous glint shining in deep brown eyes so similar to her own. Anna and Stiles could have practically been siblings but most of their friends resembled each other in this way, they were all olive skin tones and dark features, so different from their parents – all fair hair and blue eyes (although Stiles's dad's hair had turned an unfortunate shade of grey in his twilight years). The only place in which they differed wildly in the looks department was the fact that Anna had a mess of wild, sleek black waves plopped perfectly on the top of her head and Stiles had a short chocolate-brown buzz-cut.

"So you believe me now?" he prompted, still with a lop-sided grin.

"Not totally," Anna replied honestly, crossing her arms with a defiant stance. Her eyes gleamed and she knew that her response sounded lame. "_But…_ and this is a big but- but if Scott really is becoming a werewolf – which I'm not saying he is just FYI – he'll need our help."

The two friends exchanged a look and raced up the steps towards the McCall house. The door is unlocked when they pound on the glass, making it vibrate with the effort. Mrs. McCall must be working the late shift at the hospital. It wouldn't matter though, Stiles and Anna where welcome at the house, whatever the time of day (or night) was – though Stiles did abuse this power. Anna and Stiles hot-footed it up the staircase, throwing themselves around the sharp corners of the house with delicate accuracy.

"Scott!" Anna shouted, fists connecting with the door with surprising force, "Scott! You in there?"  
"Come on, Scott!" Stiles added, joining the fray, "Let us in we can help!"

Anna grabbed Stiles arm in mid-knock. She was strong for her stature, Stiles noted as she held his forearm in place with little strain. "Are you sure this a good idea?" she pondered, biting her lip. "I mean, I know he's our friend but I don't exactly want to get my face torn off. I need it for quite a few things, like, um… _living?_" Stiles did not appreciate her sarcasm as much as she had anticipated and instead pulled his arm away and knocked again, more violently this time.

"You can't help me," Scott's voice panted from the other side of the door. It worried her how much he sounded weak and in pain, worse than she did during that time of the month when the pains reached a climax. Kyle still wouldn't let her live that down.

"Scott, we-" she began but was cut off by a quick, urgent plea from Scott.

"Listen to me!" he screamed with intense furiosity, making them both jump. "It's Derek Hale. He's the Alpha. He's the one who bit me and killed the girl in the woods."

Anna and Stiles exchanged a wide-eyed, terrified look and braced themselves for a backlash when Stiles responded, "Scott, Derek's the one who drove Allison for the party."

Silence. "Scott?" Anna whispered. More silence. Then from the interior of the room, was a massive crashing sound like breaking glass and smash wood. Stiles and Anna looked at each other, realization dawning on their face. Stiles stood in front of the door and motioned her away from it. "What are you doing?" Anna frowned.

"Breaking the door down," Stiles replied and took a flat out run at the piece of wood that prevented entry. Instead of giving the desired effect, Stiles face-planted the door and slid down it with a resounding 'ow' of pain. Anna rolled her eyes and reached for the battered knob. "Or you could just try the handle."

Inside the room, Stiles raced to the window and leaned out across the ledge. "Dammit," he said, kicking the side of the bed only to hold his foot in agony a moment later. "He's gone."  
Anna was unsure of herself, "What do we do now?"

"We have to find Allison."


	5. 5: Addicted to Love

**This chapter was inspired by - Florence and the Machine - Addicted to Love  
**

_The lights are on, but you're not home _  
_ Your mind is not your own _  
_ Your heart sweats, your body shakes _  
_ Another kiss is what it takes _

* * *

Anna and Stiles were trekking up the Argent's lawn. Anna had made the spazing teen calm down so they could work on the story, but still, it was holey. As Stiles reached for the doorbell and pounded it a few times with his fist, Anna bit her lip and tried to assess her options. Lying to Allison felt wrong, even if it was to protect her. They weren't even that good of friends really, but the word 'Betrayal' ran through her mind like a greyhound on steroids.

Anna forced herself to suck in a breath and relax as the door was answered. It wasn't betrayal, they'd only just met a couple of days ago and if Allison was intent on hanging out with Lydia and Jackson then they wouldn't be growing any closer.

"Mrs. Argent-?" Stiles said rather breathlessly. Anna stood there and gawped for a second. This blew a massive hole in their plan. They'd wanted to talk to Allison alone, try and explain what was going on but if Mrs. Argent was going to be lingering near by that might be virtually impossible. "Look-" Stiles said causing Anna to glare at him. This wasn't part of the plan. "This is going to sound really strange. Crazy, actually. You know what, crazy can't even describe-"

"Allison!" Mrs. Argent cried, cutting Stiles short of his lame explanation. "It's for you!"

The two teens stood there for a while just staring up at Allison who shot them a quizzical smile. She was perfectly alive, perfectly safe. From her exterior, there was no cause for alarm, apart from the fact that they now had to explain their erratic behaviour. "You know what," Anna said, exchanging a look with Stiles and yawning purposefully. When he didn't interpret her action she elbowed him in the ribs. He grunted but understood her message. "It's pretty late, I'm sure it can wait until tomorrow."

Anna tried to turn to leave before Allison could question her but the girl called out before they were halfway down the path. "Wait!" both teens partially turned to Allison's voice. "Have either of you seen Scott?"

"Not since the party." Anna said a little too quickly. She mentally kicked herself before adding a guilty "Sorry."

Allison could tell she was covering up the truth from her whole demeanour but she didn't push the issue. If Scott thought blowing her off was okay than he wasn't right for her. At all.

* * *

For a while, Anna and Stiles sat in solitary silence until they arrived outside of Anna's house. It looked empty yet somehow welcoming. Light glowed from the windows, bathing the lawn in luminescent light. Anna let out a shaken breath and then placed both hands on either side of the seat to stable herself as the engine died.

"What we know now…" Stiles began, trying to catch her eye. She stared straight ahead and her chest rose and fell in slow, almost deliberate movements. The sight of her look so utterly vulnerable made his sentence finish on a cliffhanger,

"There's no going back, is there?" she asked in an almost inaudible tone. "No normal life? Just secrets and lies?"

Stiles didn't respond because he could find no words. She broke her composure and looked him with a terrified glare like a doe caught in headlights. "I used to think," she began, keeping eye contact, "That my parents were always lying about the world being good and how they used to tell us those monsters under our beds weren't real. Now I wish they were."

Stiles pulled her too him and she did not protest as she might usually. Her head rested against his shoulder, the top of her ebony hair brushing his chin. "We'll get through this," he whispered, "For Scott."

At that moment, Stiles was ready to make a move he'd wanted to do for a long time. He was about to lean down and plant his lips on hers when she pulled away. "For Scott," she agreed, apparently not noticing the hurt look on his face. "I'll see you on Monday." She replied and waved to him as Stiles slammed his foot down on the ignition. Anna found this strange – and the fact that he didn't wave back – and was soon trying to figure out what she had done.

* * *

That night, Anna was plagued by terrible nightmares.

_It was a cold December morning, the snow was just beginning to thaw out their little holiday lodge deep in the frozen snows of Alaska. Soon, her father would take her and Kyle out hunting as he did every time they came back to the lodge for Christmas vacation. Anna was up before anyone else and warming her freezing feet by the heat of crackling flames. The hearth was so hot, in fact, that at first she did not feel the cool liquid beneath her fingers. Not realizing, she placed her hands together to try and rub warmth into them. Only then did she realize her hands were coated in blood. _

Anna shot up from bed convulsing violently and screamed. The bedroom door was forced open and her brother charged in, brandishing a baseball bat which he swung wildly in the air. Kyle soon realized there was no real threat, apart from those manifestations in his sister's mind and begrudgingly, his arms began to lower. "Bad dreams?" he asked. Anna nodded as Kyle leaned the bat against the wall. The usual routine fell into place after that with Kyle moving towards the bed. Anna wriggled to the cold side of the bed to allow her brother to slip the sheets. Kyle pulled his baby sister close as she cowered beneath the protective warmth of her older brother. When the nightmares had begun years ago, the two teens had made a pact never to mutter a word of their arrangement to their friends in fear of being mocked for acting so weak. It was sad but it was true, the Chambers children did not want to look weak for anything.

"It was him," Anna said, muffled by her brother's t-shirt, "I dreamed about him."

He pushed the hair off her face and suppressed a sigh in the attempt to comfort her. "I know," Kyle replied, making soothing sh-hing noises in the back of his throat. "But it was only a dream. You were dreaming."

Despite her brother's arm wrapped tightly around her, Anna was unable to fall back into sleep. When he left, even though she wanted to protest it, she let him plant a kiss on her forehead and slip out when he thought the coast was clear.

Anna fought to keep her eyes open but eventually the strain of it all broke her and she fell into another restless dream.

_In horror, the tiny eight year old moved to the place where the scarlet was leaking from – beneath the crack of a wooden door Anna knew vaguely as the study. Her pale fingers that were almost blue from the cold wrapped around the frozen doorknob and pushed open the door to the study. That's when she saw them, their bodies curled together, brother and sister united in death; brains and tissue decorating the wall behind them. Blood ran in rivulets and covered her snow shoes, dying them crimson. She tried to cry out, to make a noise to alert the house to such a tragic incident. Instead she found herself in a fit of rage and without even thinking, moved the shotgun away from the scene of the crime as if it was made of glass and found herself cradling her aunt's head between shaking fingers when finally she forced her vocal cords to move. "Mommy! Kyle!" she shouted between tears, "Help me!"_

* * *

"ANNA!" the girl thrashed in her bed and the small person who had woke her sprang backwards. She looked up into her sister's curious face.

Anna pushed the bedcovers that held her into the stuffy place she no longer wanted to be. "What time is it?" she asked wearily, it had to be late morning, if Georgina was back from her sleepover.

"Eleven." She replied in an all-knowing manner, "Now, get up! You have to drive me to ballet!" Anna sighed and flumped back down onto the bed as Georgina leaped around the house in excitement, her feet barely having to touch the ground like the true dancer she was. Anna threw her hair back into a simple pony tail, pulled on a dark purple vest with a grey colored biker jacket over the top so her arms where protected against a fairly cold day; she donned her denim shorts with black leggings beneath it and pulled on a pair of riding boots. There. Now she looked like a farm girl what with her both natural and suntanned skin and dark features like a true Ohio native. Her mother would be proud.

By the time Anna got downstairs; Georgina was already wrestling on two little white ballet flats onto her equally as tiny feet and already fully dressed in her ridiculous little leotard. Georgina certainly wouldn't be following in her sister's footsteps, with masculinity gained from her father. This contrast reminded Anna of her dream and her throat tightened against the threat of tears.

"Come on! Come on! _Come oooooonnnnn!"_ Georgina said, tugging her sister towards the door, "We're gunna be late." _Guess breakfast isn't an option, then? _Anna thought as Georgina tried to motivate her. Begrudgingly, Anna moved towards the door.

In the car, Georgina did nothing but talk's no-stop about her sleepover and moan about Anna's music choice. "I mean, really," the nine-year-old spoke as if she was years older than her appearance, "Florence and the Machine?"

Anna put up a finger to silence her for a moment. "_Here I am, a rabbit-hearted girl. Frozen in the headlights. It seems I've made the final sacrifice. We raise it up, this offering. We raise it up….This is a gift, it comes at a price! Who is the lamb and who is the knife? Midas is king, and he holds me so tight! And turns me to gold in the sunlight…" _Anna sucked in a breath. "Done. You were saying?"

Georgina just rolled her eyes and sat back in her seat, texting away to her little plastic friends.

* * *

When Anna finally arrived at the dance studio, her sister spared the pleasantries and simply threw the door to their mother's car open and ran towards a group of giggling girl's dressed in fluorescent leotards and some even in tutus. "I'll pick you up at one, then-?" Anna smirked to herself as she rolled down the window up.

She tapped the steering wheel, unsure of what to do for a moment. She turned the ignition and the car kicked into life, only to die out after she'd driven for about five minutes. "What the-?" Anna twisted the keys again but the car only rattled for a moment, before fading. "Son of a bullet." She muttered, climbing out of the car. She kicked at the rusted piece of metal before screaming in frustration.

"Need a hand?" the voice startled her so much she almost punched the owner of it. She turned to see Isaac Lahey standing in front of her. She must have looked a little slow because he added, "With your car?"

"Oh," she said in a shallow way that made her want to kick herself instead of the car. "Um, I don't think there's anything you can do, though. This thing has been trying to die since last spring." Her remark gained a smirk from Isaac, "I'll just call a tow-truck-"

"No need," Isaac said, moving towards the Ford's shiny body, "I think I know what's wrong here." He popped the hood of the car as Anna observed from the side-lines whilst he twisted various objects and reconnected things. Anna couldn't do mechanics to save her life and was happy to allow someone else to take a look for her. "It's done." He told her after about ten minutes of awkward silence, "Check the ignition." Anna did as she was told, opening the door of the car a crack and twisting the keys. The engine roared into life, sounding healthier than ever.

"Thanks!" Anna said, and without even having to think about it, wrapped her arms around him. She immediately regretted it because he stiffened under her, which made Anna think he wasn't used to physical contact. "Sorry." She said, trying to hide her blush, "Habit."

When he spoke, his voice was higher than usual. "Don't worry about it," Isaac replied, turning to leave, "I'll- I'll see you around."

"Sure." She said, and stamped the ignition to the floor.


	6. 6: I Feel It In My Bones

**This Chapter was inspired by: **Radioactive – Imagine Dragons

_I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones_  
_ Enough to make my systems blow_  
_ Welcome to the new age, to the new age_  
_ Welcome to the new age, to the new age_  
_ Whoa, whoa, I'm radioactive, radioactive_  
_ Whoa, whoa, I'm radioactive, radioactive_

* * *

"So, what's with you and the grave digger?" Carly questioned for about the fifth time this week. Anna shot her a nonchalant smile over the rim of my cup. Anna despised coffee, so she had settled for hot cocoa whilst Carly drank enough lattes to keep an army awake. "Nothing," she said firmly, "What's up with you and the new guy?" Carly openly blushed. She probably thought that Anna had interpreted her prying questions about my encounter with Derek Hale as just casual interest but she had seen her memorized face as Anna had talked about him and knew she had something for him.  
"My, my, my. We are getting quite perceptive now aren't we Miss. Chambers?" she giggled, "I'm obviously rubbing off on you."  
"Yeah," I said with a hint of sarcasm whilst rolling my eyes. "_Obviously_."  
Carly spend most of the time they spent in the café avoiding Anna's questions she kept directing Anna and trying to steer away from risky topics.  
_She is so busted and she knows it, _Anna thought.

She was so caught up in her catch up with Carly; she forgot to check her watch at all until darkness began to set other Beacon Hills. "Damn!" Anna shrieked, jumping from her table with sudden haste, "I was supposed to pick Georgina up from dance an hour and a half ago! Mom is gunna be so pissed if she finds out!"  
"Go, batgirl, I'll ring you later to make sure you haven't been kidnapped by any mass murderers or grave-diggers or anything…" Carly made an amused sound at her friend's reaction – which was to shoot her the finger – and Anna flew to her mom's car.

She drove recklessly through the streets of Beacon Hills praying she wouldn't be caught by Sherriff Stilinski or Deputy Hamilton, because – boy would that be embarrassing. The SUV skidded to a stop in front of the dance studio and sat on the doorstep, alone in the chilly September night was a little girl dressed in a pink leotard, looking decidedly glum. Only, Georgina didn't race to the car with a face like thunder as Anna had been expecting, just padded over and slid into the seat next to her.  
"Georgie, I am so sorry. I lost track of time and-" but Anna was cut off rather abruptly.  
"It's okay," Georgina replied rather sullenly. She hadn't done anything since she'd got into the car not whine or loudly complain or try and mess with the sound system. She only looked at the floor. "I won't tell mom. You're in the clear."  
Anna sat for a moment as silent witness to the phenomenon. Something was definitely wrong. Georgina was always trying to find ways to get her into trouble. Anna sighed, killing the engine and gave Georgina a concerned look. "Georgie, what is it?"  
"Nothing," she mumbled, leaning back in her seat and folding her arms. Her eyes were red rimmed and Anna realized she'd been crying as the tears had left inflamed streaks down her face. "Just drop it, please?"  
"You know you can tell me anything, right-?"  
"Can we just go home please?" Georgina said so forcefully it made Anna flinch a little. "I don't want to talk about it. Just drive."  
Anna shot her another look but respected her decision and obeyed. If Georgina wanted her to know, she would open up to her in her own time. And it couldn't be that bad. She was only eight.  
Pulling up to the house, Anna gave her another questioning look, hoping she'd explain herself but before Anna could say anything, she got out. Georgina sprinted up the driveway and waited on the doorstep for Anna to let her in, not bothering to look back.  
Anna clambered out and locked the door behind her. The wind howled against the old house and the countless trees that surrounded it, giving the evening an eerie quality. It made Anna wonder if that animal that had killed that girl would be out here tonight, and if it was watching her right now, creeping deep in the recess of her own home. Stalking them. The thought made her breath catch and she sped her pace.  
She reached the doorstep and without hesitation, turned the key in the lock and dashed inside. Anna was hit by a gust of warm air that pushed away the coldness she had felt throughout the day. Georgina didn't say a word just dashed upstairs, bumping into Kyle as she went. He tried to make an insulting joke to rally her but she only continued up the stairs. Anna winced when the door to her room slammed.  
"What's up with her?" Kyle asked after a moment's silence. Anna only shrugged in response and made her way to her own room. She stiff armed the door open and collapsed on the bed. After all she'd learned in the past week, trying to figure out a tween didn't hold high on her current list of problems. The first, most pressing matter was dealing with Scott's….._condition. _  
But even that would just have to take a backseat until Monday.  
She wanted to text Carly, to see how her Saturday night was going but she'd probably just be positioned in front of her computer or bedding down for the night with a good book. Either way, she said she would call Anna, so if she was going to or not, Anna would just have to be patient.  
Anna stared out of the window, looking up into the night sky and just thinking about, everything, really. And nothing. Exams, dead parents, werewolves, boys, if she'd read this or eaten that. Eventually her eyes began to shut as the night ebbed on and she fell asleep to the sounds of the night. Wind that wafted in from the open window, creatures rustling in the bracken beneath her house, birds cawing and the odd car that rushed down her streets.

That's when she heard it.

Somewhere in the far distance, nowhere near her but carrying on the wind.

A howl.

She shot bolt upright in bed and padded to the window, slamming it shut with so much force it vibrated but not before she caught a flash of movement at the brink of the forest.

* * *

Monday morning was not a fun experience for Anna Chambers. She knew she was going to have to face up to the whole lycanthrope problem but how was she going to get the three of them alone without Carly thinking they were excluding her.  
Anna needn't have worried. Carly had signed up for the school newspaper this year and would be preoccupied most of the time before and after school for at least a couple of weeks. So as her and Kyle rattled towards the school building in the Tempo – this time with Falling in Reverse as their soundtrack – Anna was able to depart from Kyle quickly and go in search of the boys. Today was the second day of Lacrosse try-outs, and the last chance for Stiles to make the team his years. She tugged at the red velvet scarf that hung around her shoulders as she made her way into the building and untangled her tassels as she made a quick locker stop to drop off some of the heaviest of her work load.  
There was one thing Anna had to do before she found the boys. She had to see if she had made the track team. Pausing in front of the bulletin board next to a group of gaggling freshman, Anna placed her finger on the piece of paper that read: **TRACK TEAM 2011. **She traced her finger down the paper until she reached C. and sure enough, her name was scrawled in Coach Remington's messy handwriting. _Chambers, Anna. _  
Beneath her in H. was _Hamilton, Carly. _But as she scrolled further she realized Erica's name wasn't on it. Anna did a double take, but sure enough, her eyes had not deceived her. She hadn't made track.

Dread twisted around her heart like a coil as she thought about how much the news would crush Erica. Track had been such a huge part of her life since freshman year and would eat away at most of Anna and Carly's spare time, pushing Erica away even more.  
Anna solemnly made her way to the bleachers, getting the usual looks from people would hadn't seen her around school too often, or who didn't have the decency to mind their own business.

Lacrosse got off to a violent start, but it wasn't like Anna was expecting anything else. Most school sports were fairly volatile games. Coach Finstock was yelling instructions at the boys, with Remington on the sidelines, watching with a keen interest and probably envious that she only got to teach girls.  
Anna cringed as Coach yelled at Scott over and over again and yet he only stood there like an idiot. Eventually, Scott snapped out of it and ran forward with intense speed.  
_Smack!  
_ Anna flinched as Scott was tackled to the ground with a thundering crack by Jackson and there was an exchange between the two before Coach rushed over to probably put Scott down in some way. He was good at that.

"McCall's gunna do it again! McCall's gunna do it again!" Coach announced as Scott ran back into line. Anna could practically see him vibrating with furry and angst collided through her body as he began to sprint forward-

_Crack!_

The sound of Jackson's body hitting the mud was like a gunshot to her ears. She jolted upright as Scott collapsed to the ground holding his head as if in severe pain as he himself feel onto the field. Stiles rushed to him and she wavered in midair for a moment as Stiles dragged him to his feet and pulled him back towards the school before she decided to follow them.

She hurried after them at a sharpish pace and waited outside the boys' lockers unsure to go in. She called out to them both in turn but nothing echoed back out at her. The first sign Anna got of inhabitance was a huge crashing of lockers from within in, as if someone had hit them with their entire body weight.

Anna burst into the room, following the sounds of inhuman growls until she was face to face with the two boys. Perched on the highest row of lockets was what looked like Scott, his body pose animalistic as if ready to pounce on Stiles at any moment, who was splayed across the floor like a limp doll by terror.  
"Scott!" Anna yelled to get his attention. She stood before him, paralyzed by fear as his amber eyes turned on her, the color of molten gold flashing with immense fury and hate. He jumped at her but she backpedaled. Anna tripped over the benches, losing her footing and tumbling backwards, bending her legs painfully and hitting her head on the floor. It wasn't much, but she had given Stiles enough time to reach for the fire extinguisher. Scott brought his hand up to strike her, but she found it was going to be much worse than a simple slap as claws extended from his fingers. Anna cried out as Scott was engulfed in a wave of foam. The spray from the extinguisher made him screech like a banshee but he eventually subsided, sitting down on the bench next to her splayed body.  
"Anna? Stiles?" he asked, sweating pouring down his face as if he'd been in a sauna. "What happened?"  
Anna coughed – which hurt – before speaking and made no attempt to get out of her half-off, half-on the bench position. She propped herself onto her elbows before continuing. "You tried to kill us." Her voice shook almost uncontrollably and Scott looked regretful and ashamed.  
"Like I told you before," Stiles elaborated, pulling Anna off the floor and coming to crouch beside them both. "It's your anger, it's your pulse rising. That's your trigger."  
"But's that's Lacrosse!" Scott justified, "It's a pretty violent game if you haven't noticed!"  
"Well," Anna said, taking his arm. He literally flinched at her touch and his eyes became downcast. "It's gunna be a whole lot more violent if you end up killing someone in the middle of the field like you almost did today."  
Scott's eyes widened. "Jackson," he muttered with realization, "Is he okay?"  
"That doesn't matter right now," Stiles sighed, "You can't play on Saturday. You're gunna have to get out of the game."  
Scott put his head in his hands whilst Anna and Stiles exchanged the same terrified and incredibly concerned look.  
"But I'm first line…"  
"…Not anymore."


	7. 7: Evil Is Going On

**This Chapter was inspired by: **Evil Is Going On - Jace Everett

The school day passed without complaint until it came time for History. Anna was walking towards class when she caught sight of Isaac speaking to someone rather aggressively down the phone. She ducked behind a locker, and strained to hear over the sound of the crowd drifting to various lessons.  
"….I know dad and I'm sorry, okay," he yelled into his cell with a furious whisper, "No. Will you listen to-?" she didn't catch the rest of the conversation because someone barged into her.  
"Eavesdropping are we, Chambers?" the voice sneered, and Anna didn't even have to turn to glare at the smug face to know who it would be. "Could this be love?"  
"I-uh…" Anna stammered. She was obviously caught, but what was she going to say. She wasn't too sure if she could completely deny his second statement. "Shut up, Jackson."  
He held both hands up in a suggestion of surrender, "Sassy," he said, leaning closer with imposing form. Anna recoiled from him, shaking a little at his threat. "But some people might be offended. You should really watch what you say you little-"  
"Leave her alone, Whittemore." A voice bombed from somewhere behind her. It made Anna flinch and them both spring apart as if a jolt of electricity had been wired through their bodies.  
"Lahey," Jackson scoffed, squaring up the taller boy, "Surprise, surprise. I just caught your little girlfriend snooping on you, thought you'd want to know," he shoved past him, shoulder brushing against Isaac's arm. "See you on the field, Lahey." And then he was gone, leaving Isaac considerably pissed off. He grabbed Anna by the forearm in an almost painful lock.  
"It's time you and I got to History."

* * *

"I didn't mean it," Anna justified as she was practically dragged towards History which they were already late for.  
"Then what exactly did you mean," Isaac growled, not realizing her arm. She pulled free and turned to face him, "Because as far as I know, phone calls are supposed to be private!"  
"I-"  
"You know you could be arrested if I decided to report you, of course I'm not going to but I could you know. And you could go to _jail_."  
"But-"  
"Anna, do you know how serious-!"  
"ISAAC!" I screamed at him. He looked taken aback for a moment, and even shifted a pace or two back at the aggression in my voice. "I was only 'snooping' because I care about you, okay? I was worried. You seemed so nervous and I care about my friends."  
He visibly softened, and his face lit up. It was like all the tension left his body at once and he seemed once again happy and contended. A smile crossed his face. "I'm sorry, Anna. I didn't mean to snap at you. I've just be stressed lately. I'm failing chemistry and my dad's a _nightmare,_" he grimaced when he spoke about his father, but then brightened we he enquired with his head cocked to one side. "We're friends."  
"Um…. Sure," I stammered, "I hit you with my brother's car after all. It's an initiation I do to all my friends. I think Stiles is still permanently scarred."  
Isaac laughed, which made me smile because it was such a natural sound and made the bruising on his face seem almost invisible.

* * *

"Now, Beacon Hills was founded in 1863 by founding families, the Williams and the Chambers," Anna groaned. Yes, it was that time of the year again when the educated you on the town's history. It was basically the same thing every year, how the town was founded, why, what was some important about Beacon Hills, who founded it, when was the school founded, blah, blah, blah. Sometime they would add in twists to surprise you like the story of the Weeping Woman who went insane and threw herself off the clock tower.

_Welcome to Beacon Hills – were people kill themselves or are killed by wild animals all the time,_ Anna thought bitterly.

Anna tried to listen to Miss. Rogers droning on in her incredibly dull monotone, "Now, there was a bit of a problem the founding families had and that was that they had to share their land with the indigenous people. The Serrano Indians who they shared the land with were kind people but the founding families saw them as undesirables because of the legends they had heard about them."  
Anna peaked a little at legends. She had always been taught that the Serrano people had kept to themselves, and so had the founders. She had never heard any folklore to do with them.  
Miss Rogers looked a little gleeful in her reciting, "What the founders thought was that the Serrano people were skin walkers. Or, to put it better, shape shifters."  
Anna's heart pounded as she heard the information slip from her teacher's tongue. She exchanged a look with Stiles, who was trying to seem casual but his eyes were panicked.  
"They believed they had the ability to shift into wolves or any animal he or she desired depending on who's telling it. Some thought they were evil witches, who had to kill a member of their own family to become one. Others believed if they wore the pelts of animals they could turn into the animal who's pelt they were displaying although, more popularly, a few – especially the Indian people – believed that "werewolves" were born and the only other way to become one was to be bitten."  
Miss Rogers grinned and stretched, "Now I hope you all remember that because there will be a pop quiz next week so study hard. But before you go I have an assignment for you to do in pairs."  
The class moaned in unison and Anna let go of a breath she'd hadn't realized she'd been holding. Anna was gripping her desk so tight her knuckles had turned white under the pressure and her hand muscles were beginning to ache under the strain. She released the desk and melted back into her seat. Trying not to squeak at the pain from her pounding heart.  
"It'll be a joint project on any aspect of local history, be it the school, the clock tower, the Warehouse district or _werewolves._" she emphasized with a wink that made me want to hide.  
"Now, I have assigned you all partners so don't even think about it, Mr. Stilinski." I turned to see Stiles ebbing his way towards Carly and me before falling back into his seat with a flump. I stifled a giggle.  
"Miss. Hamilton, you will be with Mr. Mahealani," she said, gesturing to Danny. So, Carly had an okay partner but Stiles wasn't going to be with her, so who would that leave Anna-?  
"Miss. Chambers your partner will be Mr. Lahey." _Crap. Crap, crap, crap, crappy-crap-crap,_ Anna thought. She'd been hoping to avoid him, but if they were gunna be partners, that would be impossible.  
She looked over at him and he seemed to cool with it, but he was regarding her with wariness. What if he'd seen her reaction to Miss Rogers's lycanthrope mythology? What if Isaac Lahey knew more than he was letting on?

* * *

Stiles came and found Anna after History whilst she was placing her history book in her locker. "Anna," Stiles said in a quick spurt, "About history, I'm sure there's no need to freak out, it's just a bunch of stories-"  
"Stiles!" she said, loudly, fear escalating through her body and into her voice, "She talked about werewolves. In Beacon Hills. Remind you of anything that's happened recently?!"  
"It doesn't mean they know anything," Stiles reassured her, placing a calming hand on her arm, she felt relieved for the closeness. "Anyway, I need to find out why my dad's talking to the principle."

Anna gave him a questioning look but followed him until they reached were Scott's locker was located. Stiles collared him and dragged him to the stairs. Anna hovered behind them inquisitively. "Hey," he said, "Tell me what they're saying." Stiles gestured up the stairs where Carly's father – Deputy Hamilton – and Stiles's father – Sherriff Stilinski – were talking to the school principle.  
Scott suddenly became highly focused, as if hanging on every word and was unable to break eye contact until he turned back to us. "Curfew because of the body." Anna rolled her eyes whereas Stiles looked pissed.  
"Unbelievable," Stiles muttered, "My dad's out there looking for a rabid animal while the jerk off who actually killed the girl is out there hanging out and doing whatever he wants."  
"Well, you can't exactly tell your dad the truth about Derek." Anna put in but Stiles just shot her a look of pure conviction.  
"I can do something-"  
"Like what?" Scott scoffed; he looked stressed, which was unsurprising after everything he'd been through. But still, it was worrying.  
"Like find the other part of the body." Stiles said finally.  
Scott and Anna exchanged a mortified look, "Are you serious?!" they both spluttered but Stiles was already gone.  
"Stiles!" Anna called after him but he didn't slow down and she was too tired to hunt after him.

* * *

Anna texted Carly later that day as she was climbing into the Tempo. Anna didn't want to push her luck, in case Carly was busy with important editorial work, but it was just to remind her that they had their first Track meeting of the new season and the first without Erica.  
She was halfway home when she received a hurried text from Scott:  
_Found something at Hale's,_ it read, _maybe blood. Ill explain evrythin once u get here. Plz hurry b/c leaving soon.  
S.  
_ "Actually," Anna said to Kyle, leaning over to turn down _Paramore_, "Can you drop me off at Scott's? I think I forgot something."  
Kyle nodded and took a left instead of a right and drove another two blocks until we appeared at the McCall house.  
The door was already wide open, signaling that Stiles had flown into the house before her arrival. She waved goodbye to Kyle and jogged up the porch steps, carefully closing the door behind her. She sprinted into the room and made Stiles jump.  
"What is it?" Anna said in a panicked tone, "What did you find?"  
"There's something buried at Derek's," Stiles informed her blinking rapidly, "Scott could smell blood."  
Anna had a bad feeling settling in her stomach. "So what are we going to do? Call the police?"  
"And what would the police be able to do? He'd probably move the body before the cops arrived." Scott replied, reinforcing Anna's dread.  
She threw herself onto the bed beside Scott. "We're going to find the other half of the body, aren't we?" Anna asked with horror.  
"Yep, and when we find it, Stiles's dad is going to nail Derek for the murder and we're gunna figure out how I can play Lacrosse without changing because there is no way I'm not playing that game on Saturday." And with that, Stiles and Scott both took an arm each, pulling Anna to her feet and the trio began strategizing just how they were going to bring down Derek Hale.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

****Hi, guys! I'm sorry I haven't updated in so long but I lost motivation with all my fanfics but I'm back now and I promise to be better this time :P Don't forget to review because i want opinions! and Stay Strong my Teen Wolfies until S3 :'D


	8. 8: Who Are You, Really?

After a stop at the hospital to make sure what Scott had smelt really was the second half of that poor girl's body and then another to pick up a shovel, the trio lurked in the underbrush in the back of Stiles's jeep waiting for Derek Hale to leave. He did not appear to see them as his shiny, smooth car slid away into the night and so Stiles crept the jeep forward when he was sure Derek was out of sight.  
"Wait." Scott said suddenly, making Anna's frantic heart pound even louder in her ears. The night's shadows seemed denser tonight, as if sensing her internal restlessness and not a single star shone to aid the visibility. It was almost as if a cloud of evil and despair was looming over the shell of the old house that had seen such tragedy years before, trying to lapse the secrets that were hidden here forever. "Something's different."  
"Different how?" Anna whispered pathetically, her voice sounding fretful and terrified even to her own ears.  
"I dunno." Was all Scott said in response. "Let's just get this over with."  
The boys shoveled for what seemed like hours, as Anna stood in the chilly night and waited for the inevitable, for Derek to return home to find them digging up his property. If they were lucky, they would probably get a quick death and be buried round the back just like the girl.  
"Stop, stop, stop!" Stiles yelled into the night and Anna trotted over apprehensively to look into the grave. Scott and Stiles began pushing away the remnants of dirt, revealing a body bags wrapped up with stiff rope. Anna's stomach churned.

Eventually the boy's loosened the ropes and Anna closed her eyes for a moment expecting the worst. Just as her eyes flew open they peeled the bag back, revealing the head and torso, of a rotting, dead wolf.

All three of them screamed, Anna the loudest, her shrill shriek carrying with the sounds of predatorily animals stalking through the forest around them.  
"What the hell is _that?_" Stiles exclaimed after leaping from the grave like a man who had pogo sticks for legs.  
"It's a wolf!" Scott amended, looking holey confused.  
"Yeah," Anna put in, more than slightly horrified, "I thought you said you smelled blood. As in, _human_ blood."  
Scott looked around hopelessly, "I told you something was different."  
Stiles sighed. "This doesn't make sense."  
"We gotta get out of here," Anna said shyly, her voice barely above a whisper. A creeping feeling of dread was reaching at her in icy tendrils, like fingers brushing through her hair in the darkness of the night. She yelped and the boys moved quicker.  
"Yeah, yeah," Stiles finally said after getting over his moment of horror, "Help me cover this."

Anna crouched on the forest floor, adding her DNA to the scene of the crime. Her velvet red trench coat brushed the dirt and she moaned in frustration. _Great,_ she thought,_ even more evidence._ She was deep into her covering that she didn't notice Stiles had paused until he opened his mouth.  
"You see that flower," he said, pointing to a small, blooming purple thing that had sprouted despite the barren landscape of the house's front lawn. She had no idea what it was but it looked pretty, like something her sister Georgina might put in her hair.  
"What about it?" Scott questioned.  
"I think it's wolfsbane."  
"What's that?" she asked.  
Stiles sighed in exasperation. "Haven't you ever seen the Wolfman?" he seemed almost offended. Both teens shook their heads.  
"Claude Rains? The original classic werewolf movie!" he cried out.  
"No! What?" Scott asked finally losing his temper.  
"You are so unprepared for this."

Stiles walked over and gently removed the beautiful plant by its roots except it didn't seem to come free entirely. It was attached to something, a long chain of rope that Stiles began to unfurl from the ground. She moved out the way when he passed her with the rope and she began to stare at the strange pattern it was beginning to create. The spiral glowed red once, then twice and Anna's breath caught in her throat.  
"Stiles, Anna." Scott whispered, his voice barely making a sound as he stared into the grave.  
Anna peered down and almost jolted away as a pair of glassy, brown eyes stared back up at her. She placed a hand over her mouth, "Oh my god," Anna said, barely able to force the words out of her tight throat, "It's her. It's the girl."

* * *

The next morning, Derek was taken into custody by the Beacon Hills police department. Scott and Anna waited, leaning against the jeep as he was placed into the back of the police cruiser, shooting an unreadable look our way.  
It was only then did they notice their third friend sneaking up towards the side of the car. Anna and Scott frantically warned him off but he refused to listen, and slid into the front seat.  
"Do something!" Anna yelled in a furious whisper, almost shaking Scott.  
"Like what?"  
He had a point, Anna waited for Stiles to reemerge, frustrated at his reckless behavior. She was just about to go and fetch him herself when she saw Sheriff Stilinski strolling towards the car. "Crap!" she yelled, ducking behind the jeep along with Scott.

* * *

"I can't find anything about wolfsbane being used for burial." Scott told Stiles as they rolled across the rugged forest floor in his beat up jeep. Anna was positioned in the back, grumbling as she was thrown around by the lack of seatbelt. She hated siting in the back of Stiles's car it was so uncomfortable and she frequently got bruises from it.  
"Just keep looking," Stiles instructed him, "Maybe it's like a ritual or something, maybe they bury you as a wolf. Or maybe it's like a special skill, you know, like something you have to learn."  
"I'll put it on my to-do list. First I need to figure out just how the hell I'm playing this game tomorrow night."  
"Maybe it's different for girl werewolves." Stiles pondered, completely ignoring him.  
"Right, stop it!"  
"Stop what?"  
"Stop saying werewolves. Stop controlling this so much."  
Anna and Stiles shared a cautious look before Anna asked gently, "Are you okay?"  
"No!" he yelled back at her, making her shift back a little bit, "No, I'm not! I'm so far from being okay!"  
Stiles sighed into the steering wheel. "You know, you're going to have to accept this sooner or later Scott."  
"I can't." he replied, and he seemed almost pained. Anna's worry increased.  
"Well, you're gunna have to!"  
"_No."_  
"Shut up Stiles!" Anna screeched at him, clearly seeing Scott's distress, "You're really not helping."  
"I can't breathe!" Scott howled, his hand slapping the room of the jeep with enough force to make it judder. Anna sprang backwards, and her eyes widened.  
"Woah, woah, woah!" Stiles said, swerving the car a little. He seemed as confused as Anna was, her heart pounding.  
"Pull over!" Scott roared.  
"Why, what's happening?" Stiles asked as Scott scrambled desperately in Stiles's backpack. He pulled out the piece of rope from the crime scene, and Anna's temper flared.  
"You kept it!" she yelled at him, whacking him over the back of his head.  
"Ow! What was I supposed to do with it?"  
"Pull over!" Scott yelled again and this time no one argued as his eyes burned a fluorescent amber. Stiles ran quickly from the car and chucked the backpack as far as he could as Scott ran for the other door. "Scott!" Anna shouted, trying to follow him but finding it hard to squeeze out the back of the jeep. "SCOTT!" But he was gone by the time she'd managed to get out.

* * *

After the operator hung up on Stiles, Anna asked him to drop her off at home. She had seen too many impossibilities these past couple of days and wished just to be alone for a while. She shouldn't have been ditching school, but she couldn't face the contrast between normality and fantastical at the moment.

She slayed out on the bed, her mind racing and she allowed the clock to tick by until it read five. It would be six soon, but she didn't know whether or not she wanted to go to the game but, it was Scott's first big game as first line and Carly and Erica would be wondering where she was if she left them hanging.  
Anna picked up her satchel and pulled out the laptop that she almost always had on her person. She opened up Google Chrome and typed the word, "Werewolf" into the search engine. Thousands of useless pages jumped out at her from board games to costumes to fictional werewolf characters in books and movies but nothing helpful.  
It was only until she clicked the fourth page, desperate for answers, that she actually found something that might be able to help her.

**Werewolves are a supernatural species of half-wolves. They usually appear in human form, but can shift to a certain degree into a wolf. **– that would explain Scott's changing eye color and the way he'd looked at the top of the lockers -** Even in human form they possess supernatural abilities and powers. **– Scott had had a lot of those, including smelling the girl's blood at the Hale property and being so agile in the locker room - **Observed psychological characteristics of werewolves most commonly include; Increased risk taking, Aberrant social behavior, Homicidal tendencies, Increased sexual desire, Rebelliousness and distrust of authority, Animal-like mannerisms such as growling. These behaviors intensify on the days preceding the full moon. **– okay, so a vast majority of those basically described Scott's entire existence since being bitten. Anna read on, her heart thundering loudly as she tried to take in all the information that flooded her brain and not trying to seem like a walking cliché.

**Werewolves are commonly misunderstood creatures. Although there are some dangerous or evil werewolves, many prefer to keep secluded and secretive, unwilling to risk exposure. Many are gentle and loyal, often mating for life and mourning another Pack member years after they die. Due to the recent mass exposure of werewolves in popular culture, many now live in underground or prefer to keep themselves hidden, usually staying in tight family units with relatives or close friends in small groups of between four-ten. When a new werewolf wishes to be introduced to the Pack, this must be agreed by the Alpha. The Alpha is the pack leader, and makes all the important decisions regarding the pack. Throughout a Beta's life, they will usually try and challenge the Alpha at least once, and it is the job of the Alpha to put them in their place. A Beta is a pack member, and is lower than an Alpha but can rise to an Alpha if they kill a pack member or inherit the Alpha gene genetically when the Alpha dies. Betas and even Alphas can fall to Omegas, the lone wolf, usually cast out by their own pack or the survivor of a pack hunted down. Sometimes, werewolves choose to stay on their own or are randomly attacked by a traveler and are unable to find a pack. **

**Werewolves heal rapidly from wounds that might seriously injure or even kill a human being including gunshot wounds or stabbings. The main weaknesses of a werewolf are the deadly wolfsbane is one name for Aconitum napellus, a poisonous plant long used to kill predator animals in both Europe and India. The toxins in wolfsbane are enough to kill a werewolf but can also save one, if applied correctly. A second weakness is the seemingly harmless Mountain Ash refers to the Sorbus scopulina a small to medium-sized deciduous tree common in Northern California. The tree, also known as Rowan, is woven throughout the folklore of many regions as a ward against evil beings. It exerts a certain extent of power over werewolves including the ability to restrain even the most powerful Alphas. Although a werewolves largest weakness is, love.**

Anna felt as though all the air had been smashed out of her chest, she couldn't even contemplate the idea of a hunter like Alison's father using someone she loved against her or how she would feel if they got hurt. If she was a werewolf, and someone tried to harm her friends, like Carly or Stiles or Isaac or one of her family, her mom, Georgina, Kyle….. She'd probably go insane with guilt and grief. She almost had when her father had died, after all. She knew what it was like to lose someone you loved.

**Werewolves often chose to mate with their own kind, due to a natural, instinctive distrust of humans practically after a messy time in human history during the 1700's when many so-called witches and werewolves were burned at the stake. Many of the people killed were innocent, those that weren't humans were usually the young and reckless or the old and senile. Because of this, werewolves were forced into hiding and it led to a massacre of thousands of innocents at the hands of delusional or terrified people. Never the less, this had left an uneasy mark on the lycanthrope community and made it hard for them to trust humans again.  
Though some werewolves, particularly those who are bitten rather than born, fall in love with humans though particularly males. Many humans who love werewolves often do not realize how big the commitment is due to the fact werewolves often mate for life, and are unable to cope with the responsibility of that person's life in their hands. **

There was a knock at the door that snapped her from her intense thoughts and she quickly shut the website down, but not without catch a peek at the name of the man who wrote the article. _C. Ferris. _Was all it said. She had heard the name mentioned before but couldn't remember where.  
"Hey," Kyle said, glancing into the room, "I have to go soon, are you coming to the game or what?"  
Anna sighed but despite herself she nodded and allowed herself to be pulled out of the computer chair. "Is mom coming?" she asked hopefully.  
He shook his head and looked almost disappointed, "Nah. She's working late at the store but I've been conscripted to bring _her_ along."  
Anna groaned as they made their way down the stairs to see a small eight year-old waiting patiently on the foot of the stairs. Georgina was wearing a bright pink beret with matching mittens and a flared purple trench coat over a pair of worn jeans and flats.  
"Coat?" Anna asked, the girl as she made a grab for her own beaten jacket and Kyle swiped at the disused ashtray for the keys to his Tempo.  
"Check." She replied.  
"Gloves?"  
"Check."  
"Hat?"  
"Check."  
"Warm shoes?"  
She stared down at the pair of flats and said, "Um… check-?"  
Anna stared at her for a moment as her face flickered between hopeful and worried. She ruffled the hair beneath the French cap, making her squeal. "Good enough for me. Come on."

* * *

Anna took a seat at the edge of the bleachers near Stiles with Georgina. Kyle had ditched them as soon as the car rolled up to the school building, realizing he was late and running to the boys locker rooms for a quick change. Anna offered Georgina some of the shared popcorn they had and elbowed her to move down when she saw Carly and Erica approaching.  
"Hey!" she squeaked but obeyed, "I have rights too, you know!"  
"Yeah, yeah." Anna replied, throwing a piece of popcorn at her. She looked disgruntled but ignored Anna.  
Carly smacked her arm as soon as she'd sat down. "That was for ditching me the other night to find a dead body!" she yelled at her, and gave Anna a volley of smacks, "You are starting to turn into the boys!"  
"I'm sorry," Anna giggled, and then on a more serious note, she added, "Erica. Did you hear about Track-?"  
Her eyes went downcast and Carly elbowed Anna in the ribs. She grunted with pain, which made Georgina giggle until Anna silenced her with a look. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner…"  
"It's okay," Erica amended, "I never liked Track anyway."  
Stiles came and took the ritual position of bench warmer in front of them and Georgina practically threw herself at him. "Stiles!" she yelled and threw her arms around his neck.  
"Hey… kid!" he shouted back to her, over the roar of the crowd as the ref's whistle blew, signaling the beginning of the game. "You okay?"  
"I'm good, thanks," she said. The fact was that Stiles adored Georgina and vice versa. Anna couldn't really see why, to her, her little sister was as annoying as hell but that was only her opinion. "I hope you play tonight, you're really good."  
Anna faked gipping which made them both turn sharply and glare at her and her two best friends to laugh uncontrollably. "Don't bet on it." Stiles replied as Georgina untangled herself from him and padded back over to where they were sitting.

The players aligned, and the ref's whistle blew a second time, announcing the beginning of the opposing team ran forward, but were two slow and Beacon Hills had the ball. The home team exploded in a volley of shouting and cheers, almost defining in their intensity. All three girls were on their feet cheering until their voices cracked and Georgina stood on the bench, bouncing on the spot and waving like a demented bunny. Popcorn spilling from her other hand and cascading across the floor.

Scott ran for the ball when MFH gained then lost it again but as he did, another player, Jackson Whittermore, slammed into him and knocked him to the ground, gaining him a lot of abuse from the stands including Georgina's high pitched booing.

_Please don't lose control, _she thought, _Not here. Not now. _

Jackson scooped the ball from the dirt and threw it into the goal. People cheered but the four girls all glared at him, and they knew half the bleachers were probably doing the same. Anna looked down the bleachers and saw an: _**We luv u Jackson **_poster plastered right in front of Scott. Her temper flared and she looked back at Scott, who appeared crestfallen. Only then did she realize, Alison was one of the people holding the poster.  
"That was _so_ unfair," Georgina growled, "Jackson is a jerk."  
"Tell me about it." Carly told her, patting her hand in a sympathetic way.  
The team crowded around Jackson, and for a moment she saw her brother arguing with him but eventually he caved and the rest of team dispersed across the field.  
Scott was bent over and people seemed to be moving away from him. _Oh no, _Anna thought, _he's wolfed out. _

The game began and Scott leaped forward, high into the air, straight over one of the opposing team's players. Georgina gasped in awe, but Anna just cringed and exchanged a look with Stiles. But he didn't appear to be playing on the offensive, just gliding past players as if they were silent 2D images. Anna cheered loudly, adding her support, feeding his self-control. He threw to ball and it hit the net with a beep as the score raised.

The four girls went insane with cheering and Anna picked up her sister and spun her around like a dolly. "Put me down!" she moaned but Anna only squeezed her tighter in a celebration hug. It was going to be okay. Scott could do this.

He had the ball again and Anna watched as the boys ran up and down in a weird, futile dance that made no sense to her non-sporty wired brain. MFH had the ball but he seemed to chicken out and pass it right to Scott. Georgina and Erica shared a face of confusion whilst Anna and Carly spazzed out and almost died from the excitement level. There was no popcorn left now, it had all spilled out over the floor but if there had been, there would be no doubt the girls would be throwing it into the air in a weird little celebration as the Home team scored another goal.

Then something happened, he froze and the tension built. Anna could see him staring at the defense player and her heart slammed against her ribs. "No, Scott, no." she said to herself as she watched him. Both of the MFH players ran at him but he threw the ball back with no time to spare and it crashed into the net.

"YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEES!" Georgina screamed and hugged her sister. Then she began a strange victory dance. "We won, we won, we won. Break it down and break it down." Anna laughed hysterically between cheers and hugged her friends then launched herself at Stiles who jumped with her in rapid succession.  
She was about to find Scott when she saw Mr. Stilinski talking worriedly into his cell. "Dad?" Stiles asked, "What's wrong?"  
Mr. Stilinski beaconed him into silence whilst the two teens exchanged looks. Anna watched as Georgina ran out onto the field and jumped onto Kyle who had scored one of the winning goals today. Erica and Carly both congratulated him, too.

* * *

Stiles and Anna moved stealthily through the school, hurrying to tell Scott the terrible news but when they found him, he seemed a little wrapped up. By the tongue.  
Anna pulled Stiles back into the shadows to wait and give them so privacy. "Hi Stiles, Anna." She said as she passed and we both awkwardly waved at her before rounding on Scott.  
Scott was grinning like an idiot when they approached, but to be fair, so was Anna. "I kissed her." He said, obviously elated.  
"We saw." Stiles said.  
"She kissed me."  
"Saw that too." Anna added, "Good job. You are finally evolving from social aberrant. Well done."  
"It's pretty good, huh?" Stiles asked, a little skeptical for some reason.  
"I-I-I- I don't know how, but I controlled it. I pulled it back," he said, "Maybe I can do this, maybe I can control it."  
Stiles and Anna exchanged a look, "We'll talk later then," Stiles said as they both turned their backs to depart.  
"No, wait. What?" he asked suddenly.  
"The medical examiner looked at the other half of the body we found," Stiles began.  
"And?"  
"Well, to keep it simple medical examiner determines the killer of girl to be animal, not human. Derek's human not animal. Derek not killer. Derek let out of jail."  
Scott looked mortified. "No, and here's the bigger kick in the ass, my dad ID the dead girl. Both halves."  
"And?"  
Anna sighed, "Her name was Laura Hale."  
Scott's eyes widened. "Hale?"  
"Derek's sister."


	9. 9: Kiss Me, Infect Me With Your Love

**This Chapter was inspired by** - E.T. - Katy Perry ft. Taio Cruz

**Don't forget to review you guys because I value your opinions and really, really, REALLY want to know how you're liking my story so far because I love writing it. :D**

* * *

The day started as normal as any other, with Anna getting up considerably late and being in a hurry. She found her old _danisnotonfire_ t-shirt and pulled on a pair of black jeans. Shoving her laptop and several school books into her satchel, she threw it over her shoulder and placed her cat ear hat firmly on her head before attempting the task of pulling on her sneaker boots. Miraculously, they slipped on with ease.  
Hurrying down the stairs, she caught Kyle just as he was leaving. "Can I get a ride?" she asked, trying to pull her best innocent face. He rolled his eyes at her. "Fine," he said, closing the door, "But you got five minutes or I'm leaving without you."  
Anna gave him lopsided thumbs up and continued into the kitchen, where she forced a piece of toast into your mouth. "Honey," her mom said as she was about to exist the kitchen. "One of your friends called earlier. Said his name was Isaac."  
_Crap._  
"He wanted to talk to you about that history project-?"  
_Double crap._ She'd forgotten all about the history project due to the past few days and knew she couldn't put it off any longer. "And what did you say?" she asked, a little apprehensively.  
"I told him you'd speak to him at school," she replied inquisitively, "Are you sure everything's okay, hun?"  
_No mom, everything is not okay. My best friend's a werewolf and the guy who turned him and ruined his life is now out on the loose. Oh, did I mention he may have murdered his own sister?_ She thought bitterly.  
"Everything's fine, mom." Anna gave a brief half-smile before hugging her mom and departing.

On the way to school, Kyle supplied standard questions to which Anna gave yes or no affirmatives until they reached the school. The car park was littered with police cruisers, forensic vans and ambulances. Kyle had to park his car a block away from the school and walk. "What the hell…?" he said, as they approached what appeared to be a crime scene. One of the school busses was covered in blood and scratch marks with forensic teams crawling all over it, swabbing this and photographing that.  
Dread curled around Anna's heart as a coil as she came to stand next to Carly and Isaac with Kyle. "What happened?" she asked them when she reached them, though more to Carly. Isaac tried to meet her eye but she refused to look at him for more than a moment. She wasn't sure why, but he was a stranger and she was already risking the lives of her closest friends and family by knowing what she knew.  
"Someone was attacked, that's all they'll say." Isaac said solemnly, as they stared at the shell of the school bus. It was a disused one, but it would still be expensive for the school to have it removed.  
"So, what do they think it is, some kind of animal?" Kyle asked him.  
"Nobody knows, but it has to be," Isaac said stiffly, "No person could do this much damage."  
_You'd be surprised,_ Anna thought.

* * *

It was in Chemistry when the second piece of news appeared. Scott and Stiles had just been separated for talking, and as Anna watched Scott take his seat next to Carly, who gave him a small smile, a sense of terror crept round me but I wasn't the first to spot it. "Hey, I think they found something!" she chimed, jumping up in her seat. She was wearing a blue V-neck t-shirt with flares at the ends, a simple beige cap with her long, silky black hair pulled back into a stiff pony tail and simple ripped jeans. Anna envied her outfit for a second, and then her attention was redirected to the body they were bringing out on the stretcher.  
She heard Scott whisper, "That's not a rabbit." And then the man sat bolt upright screaming in abject terror.  
The class yelled and Anna flinched as everyone sprang away from the window. "I wonder who he is?" Carly asked her but Anna wasn't paying too much attention. She was staring at Scott, who looked pale and sickly at the sight.

* * *

Isaac cornered her at break. Anna was putting her books into her locker, which was now overflowing with crap, and had just slammed the door to reveal Isaac's face staring at her. She yelped in shock, flinching backwards, and then let out a relieved smile.  
"Isaac!" she sighed, her heart subsiding, "You scared me."  
"Sorry," he said, gripping his hair. It was intensely distracting, the way he played with it but luckily for Anna he cut to the chase. "It's just- we need to start the history project sooner or later. And it feels like you've been avoiding me all day."  
"Oh, Isaac, I haven't been avoiding you," okay, so that was an outright lie, but it was better than blurting the insane truth. "There are some things going on at the moment. Between me and Scott and the others and it's darn complicated but if you want you can come round to mine tonight. My mom and brother should be out of the house, so we'll only have to worry about my intolerable little sister." Anna completed with false enthusiasm.  
"Okay," he said, as if surprised at the outcome, "I'll see you tonight then."  
Anna began to turn her back on him, and then, as if as an afterthought. "Wait, you do know where I live, right?"  
"Of course," he frowned, "I live down the street from you."  
_Insensitive much?_ Anna thought as she headed for lunch.

* * *

Scott and Stiles were already locked deep in concentration when Anna arrived. Carly wouldn't be joining them today, as she'd forfeited most of her lunchtimes to the school newspaper.  
"What's wrong?" Anna asked as she sat down next to Stiles on his left and pulled out her packed lunch. Unlike all her friends, she didn't eat school dinners, period. Not since she had found a hair ball in one of them in the fifth grade. No, she would be stick to ham and cheese sandwiches and Coca-Cola.  
"Scott wants to learn how to be a werewolf from Derek." Stiles said sullenly, pulling open a bag of chips and greedily forcing them into his mouth.  
"What?" Anna exclaimed but Scott only rolled his eyes, "Do you want to die?"  
"Yes, no- look. The only thing that matters in solving _this,"_ he said gesturing to himself. "Until then, I can't go out with Alison. I'm gunna have to cancel."  
"No, you're not cancelling," Stiles said certainly, "You can't just cancel your entire life. We'll figure it out."  
"Figure what out?" the familiar, yet annoying voice made Anna turn to see who had spoken. It was none other than Lydia Martin, and herself and her entire click, was coming to sit with them. Danny sat next to Stiles on his right whereas another girl she didn't know sat next to Anna on the left. Anna turned and gave her a warm smile, which the other girl returned, although it was clear she didn't want to make a habit of smiling at losers. Alison sat on the other side of Scott and some gut plunked himself down at the head of the table.  
"Get up." Jackson snarled, striding over and glaring down at the guy.  
"Why don't you ever ask Danny to get up?" the guy ask sadly, and even though he was probably just another dumb jock, Anna felt a certain degree of sympathy towards him.  
"Because I don't stare at his girlfriend's coin slot," Danny amended and she suppressed a smile.  
Jackson shoved him out of the chair and glared at Scott as Danny continued, "So, I heard they said it was some kind of animal attack. Probably a cougar."  
"I heard mountain lion," Jackson said and Anna rolled her eyes and opened her mouth ready to correct him when, shockingly, Lydia did it for her.  
"A cougar is a mountain lion," Jackson gave her a strange look so Lydia added in the dumbest voice ever, "Isn't it?"  
"Who cares?" Jackson said vehemently, "The guys probably just some homeless tweeker who's gunna die anyway."  
"Actually, I just found out how it is," Stiles said, glancing round. No one seemed to care too much except himself, Scott and Anna. The video was a short news clip, and identified the victim as Garrison Myers. The name rang a bell but Anna couldn't place it.  
"I know this guy." Scott said suddenly, and that familiar sense of dread that she kept getting ever since Scott was bitten filled her again.  
"You do?" Alison asked, surprised.  
"Yeah, from when I used to take the bus when I lived with my dad. He was the driver."  
The table was silent for a moment, then Lydia said, "Can we talk about something more fun please like where we're going tomorrow night."  
Scott's face was priceless when Lydia added, "You said you and Scott were hanging out tomorrow, right?" Anna stifled a giggle.  
"We were thinking of what we were going to do." Alison said in a totally naïve way. Stiles looked sympathetic whereas Anna was increasingly struggling to hide her smile.  
"Well," Lydia replied in her usual shallow way, "I'm not sitting at home all night watching Lacrosse videos again. So, if the four of us are hanging out, we are doing something fun."  
Scott turned to Alison. "Hanging out?" he asked her, "Like the four of us? You want to hang out? As in, us and them?"  
"Yeah, I guess, I mean. It sounds fun." Anna was giving of chocked laughter now that seemed to alarm the girl next to her. Stiles stood on her foot when she got a little too loud.  
"You know what else sounds fun?" Jackson told them, "Stabbing myself in the face with a fork." Lydia wrestled it out of his grip as the rest of the table rolled their eyes. Anna attempted to make eye contact, telepathically begging him to speak up as Lydia suggested bowling as a possible activity.  
"You can bowl right?" Alison asked Scott as he looked increasingly uncomfortable.  
"Sort of-"  
Jackson leaned forward in a threatening manner; "Sort of or yes?" he asked and looked at the rest of them. Anna dropped her gaze back to her food, not wanting to see his smug face.  
"Yes," Scott replied, not intimidated by his amateur display, "In fact, I'm a great bowler."

* * *

It was half past 3 when Anna got the frantic phone call off her mom. "Aunt Eleanor has been rushed to the hospital. She had a stroke, Kyle's with me so you'll have to get Stiles to give you a ride home. There's lasagna in the fridge. Don't wait up." Was what the entire message said. _Gee, thanks for the heads up earlier mom,_ Anna thought solemnly. Stiles had already gone, and there was no other option except to walk. Luckily, it would take only fifteen minutes to reach her house if she took a detour through the woods but it would mean almost certainly crossing paths with the Hale house and a possible encounter with Derek.

_Screw it, _she thought, _He's still a suspect, he won't hurt me._

And so began her lonely trek through the woods as she made her way across the lacrosse field. It wasn't a practice day, so it was practically deserted with only a few kids hanging out on the bleachers or taking an after school run on the track.  
The forest seemed slightly more menacing than she'd remembered walking home from school in freshman year. Maybe it was just paranoia but the trees seemed denser and more tightly packed together, their branches reaching out to touch her skin and snag her hair and clothing… dragging her straight to hell.  
She shivered and pulled her jacket and satchel closer to her. _What if Derek does hurt me? He's done it before to others. Maybe even his own sister. _Fear began to creep through her mind and again she tried even harder to penetrate the elapsing darkness that was falling around her. Maybe it made sense to be so cautious. There was _something_ killing people at least, Derek or animal or otherwise.  
She blinked for a moment, scanning the trees for the outline of her house but saw nothing through the dense forest. Chills shot down her spine. She continued walking further, until she was sure she was somewhere close to her home, then she paused again, a little lost. Cold froze into her bones and she felt as though someone were whispering to her. She couldn't hear it, exactly; just sense it.

The wind moaned through the branches, a smug chorus feeding her fear. She felt something tug at her shirt and she screamed, turning rapidly, her heart in her mouth and stomach churning from blood curdling fear.

Standing about three feet away from her was Derek Hale, unconcerned by her scream. _Oh, god, now he's going to kill me. _But Anna only sighed and said evenly, "I'm sorry if I'm on your land, again. I didn't know."  
Derek hesitated for a moment before speaking. "What you know, it's a very powerful secret," he told her, very slowly, the menace showing in his voice. "I'm not going to threaten you because you're a smart girl. If there are hunters in town, they're going to want to know what you know. By any means." – An image of someone waiting outside of Georgina's elementary school with a gun flashed into her mind. Her face drained of color. "That's why you can't tell _anyone._" He said firmly, "Because if you do, believe me. You'll know about it. And so will your family."  
The last sentiment chilled the blood in her veins and she went stark white. "L-L-Leave them alo-one." She stammered.  
"I will," he promised, "Just as long as you don't say a word."  
"I won't, I swear. If anybody hears about you, or werewolves or whatever, it won't be from me."  
"Good." He said and threw something at her. Anna flinched slightly but caught it. It was the tiger pendant her father had given her for her fifth birthday. She hadn't even realized it was missing, with all the drama of the past couple of days. She must have dropped it the night they'd found Laura's body.  
Shaking, she placed it back over her slender neck and ran the rest of the way home.

* * *

Once at home, she dumped her bags on the kitchen table and spotted a small post-it note scribbled in her mother's beautiful handwriting.  
_** I'll be back tomorrow. Georgina staying at friends. KEEP THE DOOR LOCKED AND DO NOT GO OUT AFTER 9:30 (curfew).**_

_**Mom xx**_

Anna placed the note on the countertop then dead bolted both doors and checked all the windows. If she was staying home alone tonight once Isaac had left she wouldn't be taking any chances.  
She then began vigorously cleaning her gothic palace of a bedroom, which was a total pig sty, and once she was finished padded back into the kitchen and placed the cleaning material back in the correct drawers.  
Sure enough once she tried to sit down for a second the doorbell rang. She pushed her hair back into a ponytail and answered it.  
Isaac stood before her rather awkwardly, his hands pushed into his pockets against the cold and his eyes downcast. She stepped aside and allowed him to enter. "So, this is my domain, I guess." She said, gesturing around to the polished wood interior of the house. On closer inspection, most of the furniture was bashed and chipping and the paint on the walls peeling from years of overuse. At least it looked well-loved. "You hungry?" Anna shot over her shoulder as she padded into the kitchen. He followed her apprehensively; his towering frame compared to hers very much imposing in the small kitchen.  
"Starved," he said, but his eyes looked hungry for something more than just food. Anna shivered in voluntarily. She then looked in the fridge. Seeing as she wasn't about to chow down on her mother's admittedly disgusting lasagna, she routed through the fridge and pulled out two cans of soda. She tossed on to Isaac who caught it effortlessly and sunk down into one of the kitchen chairs, toying with his hair. "Pizza, okay?" Anna asked.  
"Sure," he replied, "I'm not fussy." Anna noticed he seemed a little out of breath, as if he'd just run a marathon. His face was pale which made the bruising stand out in full force.  
"Are you okay?" Anna asked, opening the oven door and placing a peperoni pizza in.  
"Yeah, just tired I guess," Isaac said with a weak smile that didn't quite reach my eyes, "My dad….he just- he's a bit of a nightmare. I'm sorry."  
Isaac apologized for a lot of things that wasn't really his fault, Anna noted. She sank into the chair opposite him, not sure how to take his last comment about him father. She didn't want to ask him to define what he meant by "nightmare" because that would be prying and "A young lady should keep her nose out of other people's business" as her harsh tonged Southern grandmother had told her growing up.  
"So, what were you thinking about doing for this history project?" she asked him, taking a sip of Coke and trying to look busy and not nervous. Isaac leaned back in his chair and drummed his fingers on the top of the can.  
"I don't know. But I don't want to do anything boring like the clock tower this year," he replied thoughtfully, "Maybe we should do some legends."  
"Legends could be 'cool'" she said, adding air quotes and exclaiming 'cool' the way Miss. Rogers always did. Isaac laughed. "I mean, my families are one of the founders? Surely they'll be some family skeletons if I trace back far enough."  
"I was thinking more on what Miss Rogers said," Isaac waggled his eyebrows at her, "About werewolves, maybe we should do that." Anna's face drained of color as she remembered the words from her meeting with Derek earlier; _that's why you can't tell anyone._ _Because if you do, believe me. You'll know about it. And so will your family._  
"Are you okay?" Isaac asked with a frown.  
"I'm fine." Anna said, "But I don't think we should do werewolves. Half the people in the class will probably be doing it now."  
She sighed in relief when he agreed with her. "Yeah, you're probably right, Anna moved to the oven and took the pizzas out to cool before returning to the table and sitting down next to him, "Maybe we _should _try and dig up your family's history. See if the Chambers clan is a bunch of maniac mass-murderers after all."  
Anna hit him swiftly but he caught her pathetic fist and pulled her closer. She stared at him in stunned silence for a moment and then his nose touched her's, the barest of touches but it still sent tingles up her spine. _He's going to kiss me,_ was all she could think before his lips crashed onto hers.

Her senses were on fire, touching his hair, feeling his lips on hers. He held the kiss for a moment and then bit her lip for entry. Teasingly, she denied but then he stood up and she was shocked into opening her mouth. He made a sound in the back of his throat like an untamed animal and shoved her open against the wall.  
She could taste him now, sliding along in his mouth. It was beautiful, everything she had dreamed of from her first kiss and she could feel shivers racing through her body and wanted more, wanted to connection.  
She was almost unable to let him go when he finally pulled away. "I have been crazy about you since the day we met." He whispered slowly in her ear. Anna could only stare up at him in shock and awe and relish and so many mixed emotions of lust, frustration and even anger bubbling up like a storm inside her.  
"Anna," he said, his ocean blue eyes bewitching her so she was conscious of every movement, every breath. "Please say something."  
"I-" she stammered, "You k-kissed me."  
His broke into a smile and he nodded. "I did."  
Although mentally wanting to kick herself for her earlier shallowness, she said, "Do it again." And he obeyed, wrapping her into a tangled, passionate embrace. His mouth searching hers, making her knees go weak with pleasure.

A scratching at the back door made them spring apart like they'd been hit by lightning. Anna froze. The hair on the back of her neck stood up and her face prickled.  
_Someone is watching us, _she thought.  
But all she saw outside of the kitchen window was the occasional strobe of fractured moonlight through the branches of trees that guarded her house, almost like blinking eyes.  
"Cat?" Isaac asked.  
That made Anna feel a little eased. It could just be Tybalt, messing with their minds but as if on cue, the feisty Siamese came into the kitchen and meowed loudly. "Guess that answers my question then." He said, panic rising in his voice.  
Shadows shifted. Something was moving out there.  
They both stepped forward together, and then . . . that same scratching. Tybalt hissed loudly at the door, screeching like a banshee. Then she heard something low and rumbling, like a growl, coming from the other side of the door and she stopped dead. Isaac continued.  
"Isaac," she said, alarm rising as he dropped the deadbolt. "Please don't go out there."  
"I'll be fine," he replied calmly, "What's the worst that could happen?" _You could be killed by a monster,_ she wanted to say but he was already padding down the back porch steps and into the yard that bordered the forest. He yelled out into the night but it returned nothing to him. "Whatever it was," he said, striding back into the house, "It's gone."  
Anna sighed in relief and returned to the kitchen table and handed him a slice of pizza. "So, Chambers family history it is?" she asked around a mouthful of peperoni.  
"Agreed." He replied, shoving his own slice into his mouth.

Isaac was hovering at the door, as if unable to let him go. He bent down, catching her off guard and kissing her again. He still had the residue of pizza grease on his face but the kiss still took her breath away. "I was wondering," he began, "If you're not busy this weekend… maybe you could – we could-"  
"Isaac Lahey, are you trying to ask me out on a date?" his cheeks flushed crimson but Anna only beamed at him.  
"I guess, maybe a movie or something-? Horror? I mean, if you like it-"  
"I love horror," she said, "Saturday, okay? At nine?"  
"The curfew-!" he began but Anna cut him off. She reached up and planted a small but passionate kiss on his lips.  
"Screw the curfew." She replied seductively and shut the door. Once it was closed she jumped up and down screaming with delight. Then she texted Carly.

Two minutes later as she was still smiling to herself, Carly's text flooded in. It read in bold, cap locks writing.

**I AM SO COMING OVER TOMORROW NIGHT AND YOU ARE TELLING ME EVERYTHING! xxxxx**


	10. 10: Bang, Bang, She Shot Me

**This Chapter was inspired by: **Bang, Bang - K'naan ft. Adam Levine (Maroon 5)

It was the night of Scott's double date, and Carly was staying over at Anna's house this time. She was recounting the events of her magical encounter with Isaac the other night in a hushed voice to make sure it couldn't be heard by prying eyes when the beep of her cell interrupted her.  
"One moment." she said to Carly as she read the text. Then her face fell. She read the text twice but the words did not go away, instead they bore into her eyes like angry wasps.  
"What is it?" Carly asked, concerned as Anna's face drained of color. She peered over her friend's shoulder and read the words.

_Bad news, Myers dead. Succumbed 2 injuries. Tell u more later._

_Stiles. _

Carly put a hand to her mouth. "That poor man," she said, saddened by the news. "Are you okay, Anna?"  
"Yeah," Anna said, snapping out of the trance she'd been in for a moment. She hadn't even realized she'd been trembling until she looked at the phone vibrating in her hands and not because she had a text. Anna placed it back on her desk and turned it off, wanting to erase the news from her memory.  
"So…" Carly continued, her tone not as elated as before, "Isaac. Do you like him?"  
She could feel herself blush. "Maybe."  
Carly threw her head back and groaned. "Don't say maybe, I hate it when people say maybe."  
Anna grinned. "Yes."  
"Was it hot?" Carly beamed, "the kiss?"  
"Oh my god, yes!" she cried, taking Carly's hand in her's, "I asked him to do it again and he did and-"  
Carly looked shocked. "And?"  
"…and, he asked me out-" Carly jumped to her feet wrenching Anna up with her and hollering like some kind of wild animal. There was a knock at her bedroom door. "Girls? Are you okay?" her mom asked. Anna's face turned red and she slapped Carly on the arm before answering.  
"We're fine, mom." Anna confirmed.  
"Okay," she said after a second's hesitation, "Call me if you need anything."  
"Will do," Anna replied, and then, in a whisper she told Carly, "Will you keep your voice down!"  
Carly stared at her, as if unable to contemplate. "You haven't told her yet, have you?"  
"No," Anna replied, sinking down onto the bed, "And I don't plan to."  
"Why not?"  
Anna blushed and her voice dropped to a whisper, "Because who would believe someone would actually want to date _me."_  
Carly scowled and came to lie beside her on the bed. For a moment, she didn't say anything and just frowned at her. "You may not see it, Anna but you look like you belong on the f'ing catwalk!"  
Anna blushed but the smile stayed on her lips. "Erm, no!"  
"Erm, yes! You're beautiful and never let anyone tell you otherwise, Anna-banana." Anna frowned at her and sent a cushion sailing, it hot her directly in the chest but she just let it bounce to the floor.  
"Nice reflexes you go yourself, there." Anna pointed out as Carly pulled on her pajamas; they were fluorescent purple with a pair of vampire bunny slippers. Carly didn't respond to her previous comment only bedded down on the other side of her double bed.  
"I think it's about time we went to sleep." She yawned as Anna got up to shut the window. She gave the outside a suspicious sweep over but saw nothing that could explain the other night. Eventually she dead bolted the window and climbed into bed. Anna checked the clock on her night stand as she removed the tiger pendant. It read 1:15 in bold red letters.  
"Jeez," She said, and crawled under the covers, "I think you're right."

* * *

School both dragged and flew by that day. Similar to the days after her father and aunts' deaths which filled her with a sense of swelling grief she hadn't felt for a long time. The next track practice wasn't until tomorrow so she had nothing to really do with her time now except sit at home. Maybe she would ask her mom if the Chambers had left anything behind except for the bunch of stuff in both the archives and displays of the founders' museum.  
Anna got a ride off Stiles, and clambered into the passenger seat in an unladylike fashion. Mumbling, she sat down as Stiles pulled out of the school parking lot.  
He had gotten less than a couple of meters out of his parking space before some stumbled into the road in front of his jeep. "Stiles, look out!" Anna called but he was already slamming on the brakes.  
"Oh my god!" he muttered and pressed his hand into the horn, "You gotta be kidding me this guy's everywhere." He said, though more, she thought, as him speaking his thoughts than talking to her.  
A traffic pile up was beginning to become evident and people had stopped to stare at the sickly looking man in the middle of the road. It was lucky they were far away, so they couldn't equate that she and her friends were helping Derek Hale, who was clearly frail, out of the road.  
"What the hell?" Scott asked Stiles as both him and Anna dived from the jeep and raced to where he was lying in the tarmac.  
"What are you doing here?" Scott hissed.  
Derek took a serious of pained breaths before saying, "I- I was. Shot."  
"He's not looking so good, guys." Stiles told them.  
Anna bit her lip. "Maybe we should take him to the hospital-?"  
"No," he said sternly, "No hospitals. No hospitals. They wouldn't be able to help me."  
Scott exchanged a look with each of them before his eyes finally rested back on Derek. "Why aren't you healing?" he asked, slightly gentler this time but still with some venom in his voice.  
"I can't," Derek stammered, "It was a different type of bullet."  
"A silver bullet?" Stiles seemed to ask, a little more excited than he should have been.  
Derek looked up at him and growled, "No, you idiot."  
"Wait, that's what she meant when she said you, had 48 hours." Scott pondered, his face telling us he was finding it difficult to sustain the memory. The beat-up jeep sat in silent witness as people began to stare more, some pointing, others speaking in hushed whispers. Other drivers smashed their fists into their car horns and had begun to climb out to see what the commotion was.  
"What?" Derek asked, pained, "Who? Who said I had 48 hours?"  
"The woman who shot you." Scott said finally.  
Derek's head reeled back as if someone had just punched him in the face. Then he began taking in ragged breaths that seemed to jar his entire body with each rise and fall of his chest. He blinked once, then again and his eyes shone ocean blue – fading and then coming back with extreme force with beacons. "Stop that!" Scott barked, as people began to approach.  
"That's what I've been trying to tell you, I can't!" He looked stricken but also angry at the unfair treatment. _Like he has any right to be treated fairly,_ a part of her snapped back aggressively and even though she hated hurting people, she couldn't help but agree with it.  
"Derek," Scott said in a low, even voice, "Get. Up."  
Car horns were still blaring and it was getting frankly annoying. Scott wrapped an arm around Derek and placed him into the front seat of the jeep. Great. Now she was going to have to sit in the back next to a psycho werewolf. She sighed but went and climbed in before Stiles took the driver's side.  
"Get him out of here." Scott told Stiles forcefully.  
"I hate you for this so much." Stiles spat through gritted teeth but nevertheless he changed the engine setting from neutral and drove a little too fast out of the car park.  
"Guess I will have something to do with my time after all, then." She muttered to herself.

* * *

"Hey, try not to bleed out all over my seats, would you?" Stiles said rather insensitively. Anna was unsure of what to do. For all of the drive so far she had sat as silent witness, unwilling to speak. Just what exactly did one talk about with a werewolf? "We're almost there."  
"Almost where?" Derek asked, eyes downcast.  
"You're house." Anna supplied.  
"What?" he said, his head shooting up to stare at the two of them, "No, you can't take me there."  
Stiles spazzed out. "I can't take you to your own house?"  
Derek growled. "Not when I can't protect myself."  
Obviously angry, Stiles pulled over on the freeway. "Stiles, what are you doing?" Anna asked cautiously but he just ignored her.  
"What if Scott doesn't find your little magic bullet?" Stiles asked forcefully, "Are you dying?"  
"Not. Yet." He breathed, groaning and shifting in his seat with the pain. Anna saw his eyes flash blue again. "I have a last resort."  
"What do you mean?" Anna said softly from the back. They both turned, as if they'd forgotten she was there at all. "What last resort?"  
Derek lifted up his shirt sleeve to reveal a pulsing, violent looking wound. Anna placed a hand over her mouth, stomach churning. It looked infected. Stiles turned his head away completely. "Oh. My. God. What the hell is that?" he said, close to vomiting, "Is that contagious? God! Maybe you should just get out!"  
"Start the car!" Derek snarled. "Start it now!"

"Hey, I don't think you should be barking orders," Stiles said, his face turning a little red with anger. He seemed oblivious to Anna's death glare. "With the way you look, okay. In fact, if I wanted to I could probably drag your little werewolf ass out into the middle of the road and leave you for dead."  
"Start the car or I'm going to rip your throat out with my teeth and get her to drive for me." Derek said, in a low, angry rumbling voice, his jaw set. Stiles glanced back at Anna in the back seat for support.  
"Hey," she said, putting her hands up in a surrender gesture. "I'm Switzerland."  
Stiles stared at Derek for a long moment but started the car, still obviously angry.

* * *

Anna and Stiles helped Derek limp from the car and towards the shape of Scott's workplace, the animal shelter, although, it was mainly Anna helping him hobble along, Stiles looked disgusted at even the thought of touching him.  
"Thank you." He said, as she took his arm off from around her shoulder. Anna didn't say a word, only came to stand beside Stiles.  
"Any word from Scott?" she asked but as soon as she had a text appeared on Stiles phone.  
"Does Nordic blue monkshood mean anything to you?" Stiles as him as Derek collapsed onto a sack of gerbil bedding and hamster food.  
"It's a rare form of wolfsbane," Derek panted, "He has to bring me the bullet."  
"Why?" Stiles shot back.  
"Because I'm going to die without it."  
Stiles and Anna exchanged a look. Anna had never actually wanted Derek to just die, but, at the same time, that's _exactly_ what Anna wanted. Ever since he'd threatened her family but seeing him, so fragile like a piece of glass balancing on a cliff edge it just felt wrong. Inhuman. And all her morals flooded back to her, and she knew she couldn't just let him die. Not if you could do something to prevent it.

* * *

Stiles actually helped Derek into the main surgery area of the animal clinic. Derek pulled his shirt off, and placed his arm on the vet's table. "When the infection reaches my heart, it'll kill me." He moaned, and moved to search some of Dr. Deaton's drawers and cupboards. Anna hopped he didn't come back tonight to pick anything up because how in hell would they explain this?  
"Positivity just isn't in your vocabulary, is it?" Stiles asked half-heartedly, trying to mask his distress at the situation with humor.  
"If he doesn't get here with the bullet in time," he said, riffling through more cabinets and generally leaving bloodied fingerprints everywhere. "Last resort."  
"Which is?" Stiles asked, as Anna's fingers moved rapidly over the keyboard. Telling Scott to hurry his ass up.  
"You're gunna cut off my arm." Derek replied swiftly, holding a dangerous looking saw in the air. Anna froze. Stiles stared at him in disbelief.

* * *

Derek slid the saw along the table to Stiles. "Wait," Anna said, astonished, "You can't actually be considering this. What if you bleed to death?"  
Derek began wrapping a tourniquet around his upper arm, like one of those tight bands they put around you when you go for a blood test. Except this would be much more gruesome than simply taking a little blood.  
"I don't think I can do this," Stiles said, a little overwhelmed. Anna tried to text Scott again but he wasn't answering so she gave up.  
"Why not?" Derek growled.  
"Well, the saw through the flesh, hacking off the bone and especially all the blood." Stiles looked slightly green.  
"What, you faint at the sight of blood?" Derek said incredulously.  
"No, but I might at the sight of a chopped of arm!" Stiles replied loudly. Derek looked at Anna and offered her the saw. She sprung away from it as if it would come alive at any moment. "No way," she breathed, "No way am I doing it, I'm just an innocent bystander here, no way am I preforming any sort of amputation tonight!"  
Derek stared back Stiles. "Okay, how about this. You're going to cut off my arm or I'm going to cut off your head."  
"I am so not buying your threats any-" but Stiles was cut off swiftly by Derek tugging him towards him in a threatening manner. Anna was suddenly very aware of the situation.  
"Hey, we're all friends here?" she said evenly, "Right, guys?"  
Derek didn't even spare her a glance. "Okay," Stiles said finally, "Okay, I'll do it."  
Then, the werewolf leaned over the side of the table. Anna stared at him for a moment then leaped backwards cursing as he spewed black bile all over the floor. "Oh my god, what the hell is that?" Stiles said, exasperated.  
Derek stayed hunched over the table for a moment. "My body," he murmured, "It's trying to heal itself."  
"It's not doing a very good job of it." Stiles replied, looking like he was about to vomit as well. Anna just placed herself in the furthest corner of the clinic.  
"Now," he said, "You gotta do it now."  
"Look, honestly, I don't think I can." Stiles said seriously.  
"Just do it!" he yelled.  
With a swift 'oh my god' Stiles placed the blade on the clammy flesh of Derek's forearm. "Right, here we go!" Stiles said as Anna yelped and shut her eyes.  
"Stiles! Anna!" a familiar voice yelled and both teens breathed a sigh of relief. Scott entered the room, skin slick with sweat from a long bike ride across town and looked at the scene pursuing in front of him in horror. "What the hell are you doing?"  
"Aw, man!" Stiles said, clearly relieved, "You just prevented a life time of nightmares."  
"Did you get it?" Derek breathed as Anna came over to join Scott. He gave her a once over, checking she was okay, before handing Derek the bullet.  
Derek held the bullet up so he could see it more clearly in the shallow light. It glowed with golden menace, Anna even shivered slightly at its imposing shadow. "What are you going to do with it?" Stiles asked.  
"I'm going to- I'm going to….." but he never forgot to finish his sentence because he suddenly swayed and lost his balance, fainting to the ground, the bullet rolling beneath a grate. "No!" Anna cried as he flew and Stiles rushed to his side.  
"Derek," Stiles whispered, taking his face in both hands, "Derek, hey Derek, wake up!"  
"Derek!" Anna repeated, trying to remain detached even though panic rose in her voice, "Can you hear us Derek?"  
"Guys! What the hell are we going to do?" Stiles echoed, alarm filling his own voice.  
"I don't know!" Scott yelled, desperately searching for the only thing that could help Derek. Anna's mind swam. What would they tell the police if he died? They couldn't blurt the truth, no one would believe them. They'd look like murderers.  
"He's not waking up!" Stiles yelled, unable to contain his fear now. It crawled through Anna as well, eating away at her until she felt like she may scream herself. "I think he's dying! I think he'd dead!" he couldn't die. Derek had to live, had to help Scott protect himself from this Alpha that wanted him as part of its pack.  
"Hold on!" Scott shouted but Anna was already vibrating with terror. _Calm down, _she told herself, _it'll be fine. It will all be okay. _"I got it!" Scott screamed, "I got it."  
"Please don't kill me for this." Stiles said, his hand rising into the air. Anna gasped as he brought it down with a swift cracking sound and shook it as if he'd just punched a wall.  
Derek took the bullet from Scott's hand and the trio helped him stumble to his feet. Fear feigned and hope erupted inside Anna. He was going to be. Everything was going to be okay. Carefully, he bit the metal with a twang and Anna cringed as he poured out the powder and set it alight. The ashes gave off a smoky purple residue which he swept into his hand and then forced onto the wound.

She leaped out of the way as he struggled on the floor with the pain, screaming and howling like a long caged wolf, full of fury and agony. He roared for a long time but finally the inky black veins pulled back and there wasn't even a scar left to show where he had been shot.  
"That. Was. Awesome!" Stiles yelled but no one else seemed to share his enthusiasm. Least of all Derek. "Yes!"  
"Are you okay?" Scott asked.  
Derek glared at him. "Well, except for the agonizing pain." He shot back sarcastically.  
"Well, sarcasm is definitely a good sign of health." Stiles replied, to which Anna stamped on his foot. Hard. He cursed but subsided as Derek glared at him.  
"Okay, we saved your life," Scott told him firmly, "Which means you're going to leave us alone. You got that? I'm going to go back to Alison's dad, I'm going to tell him everything-"  
"You trust them?" Derek said suddenly, "You think they can help you."  
"Why not? They're a lot frickin' nicer than you are."  
"I can show you exactly how nice they are." Derek replied, not even a hint of any emotion in his voice.  
"You can?" Scott asked.

* * *

Stiles dropped Anna off at home once Derek and Scott left for the hospital. The lawn was bathed in the warm glow of the artificial lights and the house seemed quiet, everyone would be winding down. "Are you sure you're okay?" Anna asked Stiles again. He hadn't been the same since he'd almost cut off Derek's arm. "Do you want to come inside?"  
"I'm fine," he said, though he didn't look it. He looked sick and exhausted. "I better get home, anyway, my dad will kill me if he knows I'm out past curfew."  
_Yikes,_ Anna thought suddenly,_ Mom's gunna kill me, too. _  
"Okay," Anna said finally, "No detours or any wild goose chases after dead bodies or strange men stumbling in front of your car. Straight home."  
Stiles gave a lazy salute. "Yes ma'am."

And then he was gone.


	11. 11: He's Got A One Hand Feel On My Heart

**This Chapter was inspired by **- Our Song by Taylor Swift

Anna was up surprisingly early the next morning. The sun fluttered in through her black velvet curtains giving the morning one of those fresh, Hollywood moving feelings. "Ain't no rest for the wicked." Anna muttered as she stumbled out of bed. Her body didn't crack or creak as it usually did which was a nice surprised as she blearily pulled the curtains apart. Light streamed in and Anna rubbed her eyes against the onslaught.  
Ditching her pajamas, she wriggled into a loose fitting vest and out her hair back into a ponytail. She pulled on her old jeggings, and riding boots and she were ready to go. She'd had a shower the night before, and so her hair was still drying. She grabbed her track gear and found she was almost an hour early, even with track practice before school.  
Anna scowled at the clock and poured herself a bowl of cereal. Ten minutes later, Georgina padded down stairs singing loudly. She slowed her pace when she spotted Anna at the kitchen, coloring pens and paper in hand.  
Georgina frowned, "You're up early," then she added with a smirk, "For once." Anna glared at her over the rim of her cereal as Georgina pushed the vase out of the way so she could color.  
Anna picked up her bowl and dumped it in the sink. "What do you want for breakfast?" Anna's mom asked the girls' as she entered the kitchen. She was dressed in a beaten dressing gown with a cup of coffee in one hand. Dark rings had formed under her eyes but Anna wasn't concerned. She had probably just stayed up too late watched Grey's Anatomy.  
"I've eaten, thanks." Anna said, as Elena busied herself with breakfast preparation. "Can I borrow the car? Seen as I've got track this morning and Kyle is probably still comatose."  
"Sure thing, hun." Elena said, fishing in her pocket and tossing her the keys. "I was thinking about walking to the shop today anyway," she pondered thoughtfully, as Anna grabbed her satchel and track uniform. "Have a nice day, darling."  
"I'll try!" Anna yawned and waved goodbye to her mother and sister who both gave a lazy wave back. "Oh, mom!" Anna called quickly before she left, "You do know it's parent-teacher conference tonight, right?"  
Elena sighed, "Do I have to go?"  
"Well, no, it's only compulsory for those on a C- but-" _but it would be nice to know you actually give a shit, mom,_ Anna thought but didn't say, "I'd like you to come."  
Elena gave a weary smile, "Okay, honey. I'll go. Kyle can look after Georgina."  
She thought she heard Georgina give a horrified "No!" but Anna was already closing the door. Outside, the sun illuminated the branches and made the forest look almost homey. Maybe this was God's justice to her for all the crap he'd landed on her shoulders recently. Crazy werewolf problems = no rain of Track day.

* * *

Anna jogged across the field to were Carly was standing. Barely anyone was there yet, there was almost half an hour until Track started and at least two hours until school began. Carly was pacing back and forth in a distressed way.  
"What wrong?" Anna asked as soon as she saw Carly's face that had drained of color.  
"It's Erica, she had another seizure yesterday." Carly said, toying with her shorts. Her foot was tapping irritably and her fingers moved across the keypad in swift movements.  
"Oh my god!" Anna blurted, "Is she okay?"  
"Yeah, her dad was with her," Carly reassured her, showing her a text she had from Erica, saying she was fine but in the hospital overnight for observation. "She probably won't be in school for a couple of days though."  
"-Which means she'll miss the parent-teacher conference." Anna said and Carly nodded. It was a shame really, Erica had been doing so well in school and she had been lucking forward to watching her dad hearing about her achievements.  
"I feel so guilty," Carly said, "We've been excluding her." Anna put an arm around her friend and pulled her close. "No we haven't," Anna justified, "She said she was ill when I invited her round for that sleepover."  
"I guess," Carly shrugged as more people joined them. "I just hope she's going to be okay."

* * *

"Today we will be doing Time Trials!" Coach Remmington boomed at the gathered group, "So no goofing off with friends and absolutely no slacking!" she glared right at Carly before continuing, "Once you've ran you're course I will tell you your time and you'll be free to go. Five laps around the track. At the sound of my whistle you may start. Good luck."  
People began lumbering up, jumping on the spot and shaking their limbs or stretching out tense muscles. Anna was jittering with excitement. She loved to run, it was her passion and something she prided herself on.  
The students lined up, Anna stood next to Carly and some other tall boy she vaguely knew as James. The coach's whistle sounded and for a while, Anna hung back with Carly, letting the others burn their energy before she was spent.  
After the first two laps Carly was already panting and struggling to keep going even at a slow jog. "How do you do this?" Carly cried, "My lungs. Are. Burning!"  
Anna smiled at her and switched around, jogging backwards. "Show off," Carly muttered, grasping her side, "It's okay. You run ahead, I'll be fine."  
Anna waved at her and sprinted forward, easily over-taking the slower half of the class as she dashed past in a wave of blurred color.  
Soon she had managed to push in front of all of the girls and most of the boys but a bend was coming up. She hated them because it meant she had to slow down. Instead, she sprinted round it as fast as she could and no one over-took her but just barely. She galloped forward and soon it was just her and two other boys leading the pack. They were both neck and neck, both trying to beat each other as they rounded the bend of their final lap.  
They were so engrossed in their own little masculine race, they didn't see Anna bringing up the rear and she dashed across the finish line before anyone. She threw herself onto the bleachers for a moment, then got up and started stretching out any kinks that might have formed in her muscles. The two boys were glaring at her with the upmost contempt.  
"Very impressive, Chambers," Coach Remington told her, "You finished in one minutes, forty-five seconds. That's faster than anyone in a long time."  
"I try." Anna said dismissively as she waited for Carly to finish. Carly had one of the slowest times, four minutes and a half.  
"You seriously need to exercise more, Hamilton." Coach told her as she crossed the line.  
"Yes, Coach." She said, but Anna knew she was lying.

* * *

It was at lunchtime when Anna got the second surprise of the day. Anna had just finished putting her books away and was turning to leave when someone kissed her. It was a short, and sweet one but it didn't fail to leave her knees weak.  
"Don't do that!" Anna said, slapping his arm, "You scared me half to death!"  
Isaac smirked down at her. "I'm guessing you don't get kissed often then."  
She stared up at him, eyes narrowing, "Maybe."  
He glared at her for a moment but then his face broke into a smile. He touched her arm and she shivered. "I thought," he began, "Seeing as I can't wait until _Saturday _to see you that you'd come for a walk with me after school."  
"A walk?" she asked inquisitively.  
"Yeah, why not. I mean, Beacon Hills has that massive outcrop of woods, you know, the one that kind of borders your house."  
She hit him again but he only laughed. "Anyway, maybe we could have a footrace after school. See if I can beat the Chambers competitive streak."  
"No way!" Anna pointed out, "I'd kick your ass."  
"Oh really?" he said, leaning in closer, "Did I detect a hint of fear?"  
She scowled at him. "Of course not!"  
"Then come with me."  
"I…" she promised she would go with her mom to the parent-teacher conference, and even if her mom broke her promises all the time, Anna wasn't prepared to just ditch. "Fine. But you have to get me back by six."  
He shrugged. "I can work with that," then he kissed her again, slowly, deliberately and she almost whined when he pulled away. He just had that effect on her. "See you after school."

* * *

The day melted together and as it ticked closer to the end of school, the excitement in Anna rose. She still hadn't told Carly, or Erica, for that matter. She was jittery all over by the time class had ended. Isaac was waiting for her outside home room. "Ready?" he asked, she nodded and looped his fingers through hers.  
They made their way to the lacrosse field and crossed it quickly, heading for the woods. With Isaac by her side, it wasn't like before. She felt braver and stronger with him beside her. The trees didn't try to grab her but hid their menace in the face of her newfound courage. She sighed into him.  
"Are you okay?" he asked, as he pulled her onto the pedestrian footpath. Why hadn't she noticed that yesterday?  
"I'm fine," she said with a nod, "Just worried, I guess. Erica had another seizure."  
"Is she okay?" Isaac asked with cautious sensitivity.  
"She'll be fine," Anna said quietly and then to steer away from the topic said, "Anyway, what about you. You know about me, only fair."  
"There isn't much to tell." Isaac replied as he helped pull her up a steep hill. She didn't need the help really, but was too lazy to put in as much effort as usual.  
"Come on," Anna moaned at him, shoving him playfully, "Okay. I'll start. My full name is Annabella Serphina Athena Chambers; I have a brother and a half-sister. My favorite color is silver; my mom is a Wiccan who owns a book store on the east side of town. I live in the woods. I have a cat that constantly pisses me off and I'm failing Calculus," Isaac smirked, "Your turn."

Isaac looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well, I don't have a middle name, and even if I did, I don't think it would be quite as ridiculous," Anna punched him before allowing him to continue. "My dad works at the local cemetery, I sort of do as well, I guess, but only part time. I had a brother but he was killed in action."  
Anna stared at him for a moment, not knowing what to say. She didn't want to pity him, because after her father had died, she had hated that. "I-I'm sorry," she stammered, "I know what it's like to lose someone."  
"You do?" he asked, his face a mask of surprise. Obviously, he hadn't heard.  
"Yeah, my- my dad." She whispered, but the silence around them seemed to magnify her voice somehow. "He… he shot my aunt – his sister – and then, he…. He, ah… he turned the gun on himself."  
There was a moment of silence, when everything was still and not even the wind moved. The only thing that fractured it was the sound of Anna brushing the tears off her face.  
He put his arm around her and pulled her. "It gets better."  
"That's what they always say."

* * *

It was the night of the parent-teacher conferences at Beacon Hills High School and Anna was sat in the front seat, next to her mom, looking nervous. She didn't have to come, in fact, she would most probably be waiting in the car, but Elena wanted her close so she could either congratulate, or yell at, her.  
They pulled into the parking lot, now alive with the hum of car engines but as she glanced out of the windshield to see Mrs. McCall, she found that Scott wasn't beside her. It made her wonder where he'd been all day. She'd seen Stiles but Scott hadn't been in school and hadn't sent him a text to explain.  
She pulled out the phone and sent a friendly 'hello' before looking back to her mother. "Are you sure you don't want to come in?" Elena asked once more, Anna was starting to get the feeling that she herself was nervous.  
"Um, actually. I'll walk in with you. I want to get a soda anyway." Anna said, pulling open the passenger side door. She trotted toward the school building, her arm brushing up against her mother's shoulder. She was beginning to grow taller than her mom now after inheriting her father's height.  
"Hey Melissa," Elena greeted Scott's mom with a warm hug, "Where's Scott?"  
"I… don't know," Melissa replied, "I was hoping one of you could tell me."  
"Wait, you don't know?" Anna asked hoping she wasn't dropping Scott in it.  
Melissa crossed her arms. "Know what?"  
"Scott hasn't been in school all day."  
Melissa's face turned an angry shade of red. "Thanks for letting me know, Anna, and if you hear from Scott, tell him to ring me. _Immediately_."  
Anna waited until Melissa was out of sight and turned to her mother who was pulling an anxious face, "I just dropped Scott in it, didn't I?"  
"Oh, honey, you did the right thing," Elena said, kissing her on top of her head, "Now scamper before Harris tries to rope you in."  
Anna pulled a face. "Yikes. Wouldn't want that. Adios, mom." And then she dashed towards the vending machine to make a call.  
"Where the hell are you?" she shouted as the answering machine picked up, "Your mom knows! You were supposed to be at the conference, remember? Call me when you get this."  
Anna hung up and paced in front of the vending machine. Hoping Scott would get there in time.

* * *

Elena fidgeted in her seat as the English teacher gave her a warm smile. "You must be Anna's mother," she said, placing her hand forward for Elena to shake, "It really is a pleasure to meet you."  
"Thank you," Elena said, smoothing her trousers out and generally trying to seem neutral despite her nervousness, an attribute she had passed onto her daughter.  
"Shall we begin?" the teacher asked, to which Anna nodded. "Well, Ms. Chambers, my name is Mrs. Williamson and I am delighted to tell you that Anna is a fabulous student."  
Elena breathed a sigh of relief and allowed Mrs. Williamson to continue. "She is so creative and is always doing well on all of her written assignments. Last year, she scored a hundred percent on her mid-term, the highest in the class. She just has such a passion for the subject. Did you know she wants to become a writer?"  
It was news to Elena. "No, no. I did not."  
"I see," Mrs. Williamson said, her face falling slightly. "This is what I wanted to talk to you about. It seems that Anna has been more… detached from school recently. She didn't do as well on some of the tests this year as she did last year. I find it quite odd because she's always been quite a shy girl but it seems this year she's coming out of her shell a bit more. Like- like she's had a confidence boost… she hasn't…. Ms. Chambers, she hasn't mentioned to you anything she could be excelling in after school, like a club or something."  
Elena was a little taken aback by the wonderful news. She knew Anna was a good student, but she never placed her daughter as excellent. "Um… no," she stuttered, "I mean, she plays track but she only just started a couple of days ago. Most of the time she's out with her friends."  
"Yes. Scott, Stiles, Carly and, Erica… is it?" Elena nodded, "She also seems to be growing closer to some of our more popular students, Lydia Martin and Jackson Whittemore, for example. She is also befriending our new student Alison Argent."  
Elena beamed. "That's fantastic news!"  
"Yes, your daughter really is a pleasure to teach and I look forward to seeing you next year Ms. Chambers." Mrs. Williamson gave her a hand to shake again, and this time Elena didn't hesitate.  
"Thank you." She said again before leaving.

* * *

Anna waited by the side of the car until the parents reemerged from school. Most looked satisfied, some, she noted – including her mother – were beaming with pride. Anna sighed in relief. Others, like Alison's parents, Scott's mom and Stiles's dad looked disappointed or angry or both. But generally there was a good vibe to the area. Alison's shiny car slid up to the school and Anna held back, hoping they wouldn't be thrown to the wolves – if you'll excuse the pun.  
Her mom stood beside Anna and it prompted her to tear her eyes away from the scene. "How did it go?" she asked hopefully.  
Elena looked stern. "Well," she said, "They said…. That you are an excellent student with straight A's and good attendance."  
Anna mouthed dropped to the floor. "Really?" she said, almost thinking she should pinch herself. "Even Harris?"  
"Even Harris," Elena confirmed, "In fact, he may have given the most praise."  
"Wow," Anna said, truly astonished. "I thought he hated me."  
Elena pushed her daughter playfully. "Evidently, not."

Then they heard the scream

It was followed by a volley of shouts from all directions and soon the entire parking lot was in a panicked frenzy. People ran, leaped into their cars, and didn't look where they were going. Someone backed into Sheriff Stilinski and he fell down, hard enough to make it impossible for him to reach for his ankle holster.

Then Allison's father shot twice.

And it was over.

Elena and Anna sped walked down the steps together to find out what had happened. They'd been standing near the school, and had only seen the fearful rush of people and then heard gunshots. They pushed their way towards the front and Anna stood beside Scott as they joined the circle forming silent witness to the execution. On the ground lay a mountain lion—_the_ mountain lion that everyone had been blaming for all the brutal deaths in Beacon Hills. Only Anna and a select handful knew the truth.  
Anna knew the poor animal had done nothing to deserve its death. It had probably been lured here by the Alpha and now all they had was another body to attribute to the real culprit.  
She couldn't help glance at Mr. Argent. She had known how dangerous he was, but was still shocked by his non-hesitation in killing the animal. If it had been Scott, would he have done the same?  
_Probably,_ she thought as a cold chill crept through her. He met her eye and she could see something there, a flicker. _He knows,_ she thought, _he knows that I know something about werewolves. _  
"Come on, honey," Elena prompted her, "Let's go home."


	12. 12: Ain't No Rest For The Wicked

**This Chapter was inspired by **Ain't no rest for the wicked – Elephant and the Cage

**I'm going to try threats now 2 get you 2 review. I REALLY WANT TO KNOW, GUYS. And if you don't start reviewing, I swear I'll stop posting. I WILL! ;D**

* * *

The next day in school, Anna hunted Isaac down during her free period. She had managed to borrow some articles from the founder's museum. It had taken most of the night but she had been wired anyway and had managed to fit in some studying for Calculus too, seeing as she was flunking it. She couldn't try and improve her grades right now. Being a supernatural peace keeper took up most of her time.  
"Hey," she said, throwing the heavy box she'd retrieved from her locker in front of him. "So, while s_ome_ people are going to make us fail this history project. Other people actually want to start seeing as it's due in, in a couple of weeks."  
He sighed and did a fake clap before asking, "What did you find?"  
"Well," Anna said, "There is a couple of stories here." She handed him a book that read _The Folklore of Beacon Hills 1863-1999._  
"Sounds mysterious." He said, waggling his eyebrows.  
"I also found a bunch of old journals talking about everything from witchcraft to haints," when he looked confused, she added, "Ghosts."  
"Hey, hey," he said beaconing her over. "Come check this out." She read over his shoulder, heart pounding.

_**Werewolves of Beacon Hills**_

_**For decades, werewolves had lived in the areas surrounding Beacon Hills. As pilgrims began to spread West wards and inhabit California, many sought revenge by turning the defenseless, practically the very young or old, transforming them into a lupine humanoid species whenever the moon shone. This resulted in a stylized witch-hunt however no actual evidence was found.  
It was only after Emmaline Argent murdered two small children and was hanged for it, did the legends of werewolves disappear. Soon, people who had been believed to be werewolves moved away and the legend of the werewolves of Beacon Hills was forgotten forever.**_

Anna's heart pounded in her chest. Emmaline Argent. As in, an ancestor of the Argent family that was currently in town, alleged hunters. Again Derek's threats echoed at her. But maybe there was no harm in investigating werewolves. He'd promised to leave them alone after they'd saved his life. "Hey," Isaac said, "There's more."

_**Until, a family known as the Madelines came to Beacon Hills in 1892. Soon after they moved to town, people began to complain of inhuman noises they heard on their property. Authorities brushed this off simply as Mountain Lions stalking their property. Then, a young noble girl named Alice Chambers fell in love with one of the Madelines' boys, a, Joseph Madelines. A lynch mob was formed to kill Joseph, armed with shotguns and assault rifles. Many now believe Joseph went insane and killed everyone however the original tale is that, the bullet used to kill Joseph were made of Wolfsbane and Alice jumped in front of him and saved his life. The bullet hit Alice in the chest, and in her dying moments her eyes glowed amber and she appeared to have canine teeth and claws; proving that Joseph or one of his family members had turned her.  
Alice's dying wish was that Joseph didn't hurt anyone. There are two accounts of what happened next, both involving Joseph disappearing and only one man surviving, Harrison Argent.  
It is popular belief that Joseph transformed into a werewolf and massacred the mob, provoked by the death of his true love before fleeing but in reality, it is more likely that Argent killed everyone there and shot Joseph to hide the truth of the existence of both werewolves and hunters. **_

Anna felt sick and swayed a little on her feet, having to catch herself on the table. The news had come as a huge shock. She now knew that the Chambers family had been interacting with werewolves in a big way long before she had witnessed anything supernatural. She now also knew there had always been werewolves in Beacon Hills and that Derek's arrival back in town couldn't be a coincidence. She knew he was out here looking for the Alpha.  
What if it was a decent of the Madelines? Of Joseph?  
"Anna!" Isaac yelled, catching her before she feel. She hadn't even realized she'd been about to faint, "You look like you've seen a ghost."  
"Sorry," she said apologetically, "The story just spooked me. I don't want to do werewolves, okay?"  
He nodded respectfully but didn't let go of her and she didn't want him to either.

* * *

It was nightfall, when Anna got a text off Scott asking him to meet her at the school. She was studying for a Biology exam and praying she wasn't going to fail. She'd had so much racing around in her mind recently. Werewolves, Scott, relationships. The last one was the biggie though, even compared to all the paranormal crap that was happening recently. She had been distant from Erica and it bugged her. Her family was drifting away, not communicating with her, Georgina's glum mood when she'd picked her up from dance practice showed that enough. Then there was Scott and Stiles and all that craziness, which ate away at most of her time and made it sometimes impossible to sustain a strong friendship with Carly.

And then there was Isaac. Just…. _Him._

She'd wanted to protect him from day one, sleuthing around to discover more about him, try to help him with his problems but he just wouldn't open up to her and she didn't like the way they'd left things that other night.  
Sighing, she picked up the vibrating piece of metal and read the text. _Have 2 stop Derek frm hurting boss. Thinks Deaton's the alpha. Meet me at the school parking lot in hour. Hurry._

_S._

Was one night off too much to ask?

* * *

Anna pulled up to the parking lot in moderate movements so she looked less suspicious. She jogged over to the jeep that was switching to neutral.  
"This is a terrible idea," she overhead Stiles say but didn't hear Scott's reply. "What?" she asked, rounding on them, "What's a terrible idea?"  
"Scott wants to call the Alpha." Stiles said in a frustrated voice.  
"Um… I can see one big problem with that," Anna said evenly before exploding, "ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FUCKING MIND?!"  
"Keep your voice down!" Scott hissed, "It's not _that _bad," – Anna raised an eyebrow – "Well, can you think of a better idea?"  
Stiles spoke up. "Usually I'm a fan of ignoring the problem until eventually it just goes away."  
"Just make sure you can get us inside." Scott told him, Stiles turned to root through the trunk of his car and Anna pulled Scott to one side.  
"Scott, please don't do this. I don't want you to get hurt." She begged, "What am I going to tell Alison if you die."  
"I'll be fine," Scott soothed, ignoring her second statement, "It's the only thing I can do right now."  
"Here," Stiles said, handing Scott a pair of pliers as a plush Camaro bathed the beaten-up jeep in a warm, yellow glow.  
"Where's my boss?" Scott demanded as Derek clambered out, clad in black leather as usual.  
"He's in the back." Derek indicated to his back seat and the trio peered in. Anna gasped when she saw how beaten Dr. Deaton looked. Fear curled inside her as she realized she was adding and abetting kidnap.  
The trio pulled their gazes away and began walking towards the school. "What are you doing?" Derek barked at them.  
"You said I was connected to the Alpha," Scott said, "I'm going to find out if you're right."

Anna, Stiles and Scott opened the door to the administration office with a creak. Stiles began preforming tech-y maneuvers with the intercom system. "Just one question," Stiles asked as he pulled on wires and generally fidgeted. "What are you going to do if he doesn't come?"  
"I don't know."  
"Well," Anna chimed, "What are you going to do if he does come?"  
"I don't know."  
Anna rolled her eyes and Stiles looked a little frightened, "Good plan." he said before reaching for something.  
"You said a wolf howls to signal his location to the rest of the pack." Scott pointed out as Anna paced irritably in front of the door. She had to be careful or she'd be dead either way, by the Alpha or her mom.  
"But if you bring him here, does that make you a part of his pack?" Stiles retorted.  
Scott shrugged regretfully, "I hope not."  
Stiles grabbed the intercom and placed on top of the desk. "Yeah, I hope so too," he said, "Right, all you."  
Scott coughed into the microphone. Then a horrible noise burst out of his throat, much like the sound Tybalt had once made when he'd been hit by that car two years ago. Anna smothered an exasperated sigh.  
"Was that okay? I mean, that was a howl? Right?" Scott asked, nervously, rocking backwards and forwards on his feet.  
"Technically," Stiles said.  
"What do you mean?" Scott asked, almost wounded.  
"It sounded like a cat being choked to death, Scott." He put it.

Scott slammed his fist into the table. "What do I do?" he cried, "How am I supposed to do this?"  
Stiles went up to Scott and began massaging his shoulders, offering some masculine support. "You're calling the Alpha, Scott, so just be a man. Be a werewolf – not a teen wolf –"he shook him a second then added – "Be a werewolf." Anna stifled a giggle.  
A long, rippling roar shook the entire school. It was like an earthquake, except the ground wasn't shaking. More like a tornado. Locks rattled against the cool metal of the lockers and Anna had to push her hands against her eyes, it was becoming that loud but she was still beaming with pride afterwards, despite the volatile ringing in her ears.

* * *

"I'm going to kill all three of you!" Derek yelled at them as a means of greeting. More the first time, Anna wasn't concerned by his lousy threat. "What the hell was that? Are you trying to attract half the county to the school!"  
"Sorry," Scott said, even though he was smiling from ear to ear, "I didn't realize it would be that loud."  
"Oh, it was loud," Stiles smirked, "And it was _awesome."_  
"More like _epic_." Anna chimed, as happy as they were.  
"Shut up." Derek barked at them, deadpan.  
"Hey, don't be such a sour-wolf." Stiles remarked. But Scott's face was falling, making Anna's elation fade.  
"What'd you do with him?" Scott asked, gesturing to the back of the car.  
"What?" Derek growled, just as surprised as they were. Anna stared into the back seat but the door was wide up and Dr. Deaton was gone. "I didn't do anything."  
"Well, that's evident-" but Anna's words were cut off by blood spurting out of Derek's mouth. She flinched and backpedaled, stumbling into Scott, screaming. The trio grabbed each other and raced for the school as Derek's now limp body was thrown across the length of the parking lot like a limp child's toy.  
She threw herself through the door's, shaking and whimpering like a kicked puppy and ducked behind it as the Alpha growled outside.

* * *

_We're gunna die,_ she thought, _we are so dead._

"Lock it! Lock it!" Anna screamed as the Alpha threw itself against the school's doors, making them groan under the pressure.  
"Does it look like I have a key?" Stiles yelled back at her, struggling with the door. She was panicking now, almost sobbing with fear and backing away from the door despite the fact they needed help. _I can't do this,_ she thought. Her lungs hurt with fear from the constricting feeling you get in your chest when your utterly terrified and her face prickled.  
"Grab something!" Scott screamed.  
"What?" he replied.  
"Anything!"  
But just as soon as it had started, it stopped abruptly again. Anna was still shaking all over as the boys examined the school parking lot. Stiles was staring at something intently.  
"No!" Scott warned as Stiles made a move to grab the door.  
"Stiles please don't go out there!" Anna begged.  
Stiles stared at her for a long moment, "Look at you, Anna. We have to get out of here, you're a wreck." The words hurt, but what was more painful was the fact he was risking his own life for them. For her.  
He crept stealthy outside, trying to barely make a sound. He reached the pliers and placed his hand around the metal. Then Anna noticed the large, wolf-like creatures with hideous features and large, fluorescent red eyes shining at him. "Stiles! Stiles!" Scott and Anna screamed, smashing their fists into the door. The windows vibrated with the force of their blow. Anna threw the doors open, despite Scott's warnings and Stiles allowed himself to be dragged into the building and pulled up against her. He fell onto her awkwardly and both teens blushed as Stiles forced the pliers in front of the door.  
"Where is it?" Anna demanded, as Stiles's flashlight illuminated the car park. The only Anna could see through the crack of glass in the door was the jeep and the Camaro parked lazily next to it. Memories flooded back to her, Derek coughing blood, it spurting out of his mouth like something out of a really bad horror movie. Except it had actually happened, the proof was on her clothes, caught in her hair. She shuddered violently. "Where did it go?"  
Stiles searched frantically with the yellow beam of the torch. It was quite as accurate as she would have hoped, due to the fact his hand was shaking. "What the hell…?" Scott muttered to himself as they backed away from the door.  
A gut wrenching howl broke the petrified silence and the trio sprinted forward, Anna the fastest. "In here!" she called and the three of them ducked into the classroom.  
"Wait! Wait!" Stiles said, as they began to slide the desk with an horrifying loud shriek of metal across the concrete floor. "The door's not going to keep him out!"  
"I know."  
"It's your boss." Stiles suddenly murmured. Scott shot him a confused look. Meanwhile Anna tried to adjust her eyes to the darkness outside. She could see nothing now; it was totally dark in this classroom. There wasn't even a far off streetlight to give at least some visibility.  
"What!"  
"Deaton. The Alpha. Your boss."  
The outbuildings of the school now looked menacing. Anyone of them could be hiding the Alpha and at the same time, he could be right outside, crouching beneath the window. Anna backed away sharpish at the thought but plucked up the courage and returned.  
"No!" Scott replied, his voice low and serious.  
"Yes, murdering psycho werewolf."  
"That can't be!" Anna was struggling to focus now with the bickering pair yelling about the true identity of the Alpha. She could sort of see now, whatever dark could that had been lingering for a moment had passed, maybe it was just her own subconscious. It made her remember a tale she had read in that Folklore book last night. The priests who had settled in Beacon Hills said something evil lived in the forest; and they had shunned the forest because of it.

Maybe they had been right.

"Oh come on, he disappears and that thing appears ten minutes later to toss Derek twenty meters through the air." Stiles said through gritted teeth.  
"It's not. Him!" Scott yelled. Anna really wanted to knock their head together.  
"He killed Derek." Anna flinched when he said it. Derek couldn't be dead. Otherwise, who would help Scott?  
"Derek's not dead, he- he can't be dead!" Scott justified but Anna knew Stiles was probably right. There was quiet growling outside that Anna couldn't decipher. Had it been thunder or the Alpha?  
"Blood spurted from his mouth! That doesn't exactly qualify as a minor injury!" Stiles yelled, waving an angry finger at Scott, "He's dead and we're next!"  
"Stiles." Anna said in a shocked whisper, backing away from the window. "What's wrong with your jeep?"  
"What do you mean? Nothing's wrong." He said, coming over to join her at the window with Scott.  
"Your hood," she continued, "It's bent."  
"Dented?" Stiles asked, frowning and staring through the inky black glare of darkness.  
"No, I mean bent."  
Stiles finally saw it and seemed perplexed. "What the hell happened-?" he began but never got to finish because something collided with the window with an almighty smashing sound that sent glass shards flying in all directions. Anna ducked, whatever had been sent cruising at them narrowly missing her head. But she didn't scream. For the first time she didn't shake or cry or do anything so horror-movie-victim. She was learning, adapting to this crazy new world, slowly, yes, but she was growing.  
"That's my battery." Stiles spat through gritted teeth, his hands were balled into fists with clear hate towards that Alpha. "We have to move."  
"Wait," Anna said, and his time she wasn't begging and crying but being logical. "He could be right outside."  
"He _is_ right outside." Stiles corrected but Anna dragged him back down as he tried to stand.  
Scott slunk slowly upwards, giving the parking lot a quick once over, then repeating. "Coast looks clear."  
"Move now?" Stiles pressed.  
"Move now." Scott confirmed and the trio walked cautiously towards the door. Anna almost unwilling to turn her back on the windows.  
Scott began moving forwards, the clear leader of the posy but Stiles grabbed him backwards, "No," he said swiftly, "Somewhere else. We need to go somewhere without windows."  
"The locker room?" Anna suggested and both boys nodded, sprinting in the direction of the PE department. The trio ducked into the classroom, Anna dead bolting all the windows that weren't already locked. She checked her watch. It was 2 AM and if no one had discovered her absence yet, then they would soon, and she'd be standing in the middle of the biggest parental shitstorm in the history of mankind. She shrugged. She had bigger things to worry about right now, like staying alive with a pissed-off, homicidal Alpha werewolf on their tales.  
"Call your dad." Scott ordered.  
"And tell him what?" Stiles said incredulously.  
"A gas leak, a fire. Anything!" Scott supplied as possible excuses. Anna rolled her eyes, "If it sees the parking lot full of cop cars, it'll take off."  
"Yeah and what if it doesn't!" Stiles retorted, "What if it goes full out terminator and kills every single cop in the school, including my dad."  
"Will you to stop arguing!" Anna yelled at them, "This is going to get us nowhere. We need a plan!"  
"We need a way out!" Stiles said, "There's nothing for miles!"  
"There's my car." Anna said, and both boys turned to stare at her. "You have a car?" they asked in unison, shocked.  
"Technically, mom's car," Anna pointed out, "But it'll work. On one condition. We take Derek with us." Scott was nodding in agreement but Stiles looked bummed.  
He moaned. "Do we have to?"  
"Yes." They both snapped in unison.

They walked forward, muttering about the plan conjuring in their heads as Stiles reached for the door handle. Scott caught his arm in a panicked way.  
"What is it?" Anna whispered to him, as he began to back away from the door, dragging Stiles with him. "I thought I heard something," he whispered back, "hide." Stiles jumped free and crawled into a locker, panicking each of them but they followed suit, squeezing into the tight space.  
Anna held her breath and the door handle was turned and the hinges creaked in protest as the door swung inwards. The sound of footsteps echoed in the room, but Anna couldn't decipher whether they were human or otherwise. She held her breath, placing a hand over her mouth, clasping her nose.  
There was a loud scream, followed by very human yelling and she tumbled out of the locker as it was wrenched open. A man – the janitor – she assumed, gripped her by the arm and started pushing her away screaming "Get the hell out!" as Scott and Stiles tried to protest.  
"Gives us a second to explain!" Stiles justified but the janitor was having none of it.  
"Just shut up and go!" he yelled but as he did, his voice faded as he was ripped backwards. There was silence, for a heart wrenching second as the door was slammed shut but then the figure of a man appeared again, blood staining the glass. Anna ran forward, trying to force the door open, as over and over again the man was smashed against it, blood running down in rivulets. Flashbacks to her father's own death entered her mind as Stiles and Scott tried to pry her off the door. "No! NO!" she screamed and kicked them, but the only pulled the door out of grasp, the man's screams dying away as they ran.

Anna's stomach churned and she almost vomited.

Then the man stopped screaming. And Anna knew the worst had happened.


	13. 13: You're Still Bleeding, You're Lucky

**This Chapter is inspired by - **Youth - Daughter.

They ran. Anna's feet sounded like gunshots across the concrete of the school and not for the first time that night did Anna regret not wearing flats. Eventually, they slowed their pace to a brisk walk as they checked out the windows, making sure they weren't being followed.  
They reached a pair of double doors and Stiles tried desperately to force it open. "It's a dumpster." Scott stammered.  
"He rolled it in front of the door to keep us locked in." Stiles said, panic rising in his voice as he tried to pry the doors open somehow. "Help me with this."  
"Stiles. Stiles!" Scott yelled, pushing him away from the doors. Evidently, they weren't going anywhere. Anna had never felt so terrified or exhilarated.  
"Man, I'm not dying here. I'm not dying in school." Stiles vented, as they began jogging down the corridor.  
"We're not going to die." Scott said, but all Anna could think about was the fact they'd left that man to die, running like cowards, trying to protect their own lives instead of helping another. It also made the very real feeling that Derek was dead come back, and a raw stab of guilt panged through her – so she didn't hear the rest of the conversation until they stopped abruptly outside a window.  
"Look," Scott said, pointing out the window. Partially veiled by an ebony shadow cast from one of the school's old chimneys, was a large, grey wolf. It's teeth hung out over it's mouth and it's claws sank into the brickwork as if the school was just a plastic dolls house. It's eyes glowed a fierce crimson and a flicker, barely a tremor of recognition crossed it's face before it crashed through the school window.

* * *

It caught Anna around the leg and she cried out as searing pain shot through her leg. It was like someone had jabbed her with a hot needle. Scarlet red stars shot through her vision as she was pulled out of the Alpha's grasp and forced to run for her life. It intensified the agony and jarred her leg as she threw herself down flight after flight of stairs. Her vision was obscured by tears by the time they'd reached the boiler room and threw themselves up against some old lockers.  
Scott seemed deeply troubled, "Were you bit?" he asked.  
"I don't think so," she said rolling up her trouser leg to reveal three sets of deep claw marks oozing blood like a faucet. "Just some scratches. They'll heal."  
She could hear it growling as the Alpha stalked into the boiler room, following the scent of her blood. She was putting them at risk just by being near them. "I'll go." She told them but they both placed a hand on her arm and forced her back into place, "Too late." She whispered as she heard another shrill growl, much closer this time.  
Scott and Stiles moved carefully through the room as Anna dragged her wounded leg with her, smashing into things and sending stars across her vision. She could barely walk now without the added adrenaline and was starting to become a liability.  
"We have to do something." Stiles told him.  
"Like what?" Scott asked back at him.  
"I don't know;" he said pretty dumbly, "Kill it. Hurt it. Put mental anguish on it, something."  
Stiles searched through his pockets as if trying to find something and then fished out his keys back pocket. Anna stared at his dubiously for a moment but then he threw them into a secondary room and herded Anna and Scott into the shadows. The Alpha fell for it, springing in after the sound of the keys. "The desk! The desk!" Stiles screamed, flinging the door shut and pressing himself against it.  
The Alpha howled from inside the room but despite it's efforts couldn't get out. Anna beamed. They were safe, at least for a little while.

* * *

"What are you doing?" Anna asked, after Scott had scrambled across the desk, Stiles had begun leaning closer to the door.  
"I just want to get a look at it." Stiles justified, though his argument was lousy.  
"Are you crazy?" Scott demanded.  
"Look it's trapped," Stiles said, "It can't get out."  
He clambered onto the top of the desk and shone his torch into the room. Clearly anxious, Scott helped Anna perch herself on the end of the desk. "Are you okay?" she didn't feel okay. In fact, she felt like crap and strangely angry, like the fury coming from that of a caged animal.  
"I'll be fine." She said with a weak smile. Scott just gave her a concerned frown in return.  
"Oh yeah, we got you now." Stiles gloated. The Alpha growled louder. "Shut up!" Scott and Anna snapped in unison.  
"No!" Stiles retorted, "I'm not scared of this _thing." _ But he seemed to get off sharpish as the Alpha racked it's talons over the mesh opening in the door. Scott helped Anna limp beside them.  
"That's right, not scared of you!" Stiles said, even though his voice shook. "Because you're in there, and were out here-"  
As Stiles said it, there was a large ripping noise from within like cement being pulled apart. Fear and dread filled Anna but also irony. The roof above them began to give way and creak, the ceiling falling apart under the crushing weight of the Alpha. _Oh great,_ Anna thought, _now I'm going to have to run again._

* * *

Scott paused, "Did you hear that?" he asked them. "It sounded like a phone ringing."  
"Can we please cut the crap?" Anna said suddenly, tired of the drama, "I'm kind of bleeding here, in case you haven't noticed!"  
Scott looked at her apologetically, "Sorry," he murmured, "But I know that ring, it's Alison's phone."  
Scott was soon on the phone to Alison. He shouted instructions at her, telling her to meet him in the lobby. Anna sighed and hobbled along, gripping Stiles shoulder for support. The adrenaline had drained, leaving her feeling sick and tired, though most of all weak. Something she couldn't be if the Alpha was hunting them.  
"Why did you come? What are you doing here?" Scott asked her as soon as she walked into the lobby. Alison looked flustered, but okay.  
"Because you asked me to…." Alison replied, looking concerned, "Anna?" she said, peering at Anna, "Are you okay? You don't look so good."  
"I fell," Anna said automatically. She was getting better at lying and wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing. "Cut my leg, should be fine."  
"Wait…" Scott said, cutting their conversation short, "I asked you to?" Alison scrolled through her phone and showed Scott the illuminating screen. By the look on Scott's face when he pulled away, it hadn't been what he'd been expecting.  
"Why do I get the feeling you didn't send this message?" Alison said, fear warping her voice into a whisper.  
"because I didn't-"  
"Did you drive here?" Stiles asked suddenly.  
"No, Jackson did." She replied.  
"Jackson's here!" Scott and Anna yelled together.  
"Yeah, and Lydia," Alison added, "Look, who sent this text."  
Not a moment later, Jackson and Lydia appeared, faces pale with confusion and the creeping essence of fear. "Can we go now?" Lydia asked as she looked from face to face but a loud crashing noise above them cut her off and the room began to strain again.  
"Run!" Stiles screamed and no one hesitated.

* * *

"A self-igniting what?" Stiles repeated after Lydia had just spoken. Anna was impressed; she'd always thought Lydia to be so shallow. Maybe it was all just an act to keep her brain-dead boyfriend.  
"Self-igniting-Molotov-cocktail." She said very slowly back at him so he understood her every word. "What?" said Lydia, after everyone gave her a strange look, "I read about it somewhere."  
"But we don't have a key to that either." Anna pointed out, biting her lip. Everyone seemed so surprised; it was as if the wall had spoken up.  
Jackson rolled his eyes before forcing his elbow into the cabinet, breaking through the thick glass. Lydia moved quickly, pulling out various vials of chemicals and muttering to herself under her breath. She picked up something with a similar disposition to potassium chlorate and began swirling it around gently. "Jackson hand me sulfuric acid." Anna watched as he seemed to hesitate for a moment, before handing her a vial. Anna eyed him suspiciously. Lydia filtered it before swirling it once more and handing the mixture to Scott.  
Alison's eyes prickled with tears. "No," she said, "No, no. You can't go out there! This is crazy!"  
"What other choice do we have?" Scott pressed her gently but Alison only shook her head at him in warning. "We can't just wait for Stiles's dad to check his messages!"  
"You could die!" Alison told him, "Don't you get that? He's killed three people!"  
"And were next," he replied gently, "Someone has to do something."  
"Scott!" she called after him, "Scott, just stop. Do you remember when you said I was lying? That I had a Tell? Well so do you Scott. You're a horrible liar and you've been lying all night." Anna winced. "Just please, please don't go. Please don't leave us. Please?"  
They stood in silence for a moment, Scott and Alison staring intently into each other's eyes. No one dared to breathe. "Lock up behind me." Scott said, as Alison reached out to him. He only shunned her and the hurt was evident in her face.

* * *

The indication of Scott's failure was soon clear when a wrenching howl ripped through the silence of the school and set a terrible pain seared her leg, as if someone had placed a hot fireplace poker on it and she whimpered, stumbling onto a stool. The pain was detrimental and she felt as though her bones were on fire. Somewhere in front of her, someone was called her name but all her senses had been dragged down with the pain and she couldn't make out anything about from a shrill screaming from inside the room and gloating laughter inside her head.

_These grounds are lovely, dark and deep.  
I will do thy mischief here.  
Hot breath on her leg, hovering over the place the scratches where, still soaked with slick and sticky scarlet blood. Sharp claws on her legs, pinning her in place. Fangs hovering over her face, deep red eyes staring into her own.  
Awaken, Anna! You are marked. You are my Pack.  
You are mine. _

Then just as soon as it had begun, it stopped. She was aware of someone helping her stand, a warm encouraging hand but when she regained her senses fully, she found she hated that hand and tore away, almost growling. "Chill Anna!" the boy yelled, "I was only trying to help!"  
"Get away from me!" she hissed, backing up against the lab bench. "Don't touch me!" Everyone was staring at her now. Her mind nagged her body, asking it what it was doing. These were her friends, why was she acting so strangely? _It was the Alpha,_ her brain decoded, _He did something to me._  
She forced herself to calm, closing her eyes and breathing evenly through her nose. Her wounds still hurt, but they weren't stinging that much more volatile as earlier. "I'm okay," she said after a couple of breaths. "I don't know what came over me!"  
"Okay," Lydia put in, "Why is everybody acting like freaks?" but she was cut off by the sound of a key in a door snapping.  
"Scott!" Alison cried with joy but as she tried to open the door, it only jammed under her. In a more panicked tone she added, "Scott! SCOTT!"  
"Stop!" Lydia yelled and Alison fell silent. "Do you hear that?"  
Anna listened, but her ears were filled with nothing but the tranquility of the school halls. Harder she strained, and then she heard it, a whir of noise breaking the omnipotent power of the silence. Sirens wailing close by. The five of them rushed to the window, pressing up against it and staring out to seeing cop cars and ambulances screeching to a stop in front of the school.

They'd done it. They'd beaten the Alpha. They were going to be okay.

And Anna seriously needed to get her leg checked out.

* * *

The EMT's took her to the hospital, where they called her mom. Elena didn't say anything, giving Anna a cold shoulder for being out after curfew. Anna didn't mind, in fact she enjoyed the silence. It gave her time to think. Especially since she needed a quick excuse to explain the deep scratches.  
You wouldn't expect people to believe insane stories but human stupidity never failed to surprise Anna. A mountain lion. A mountain lion had clawed her leg and she'd escaped somehow without a bite whilst two other people who had been there with her remained unharmed.  
Anna sighed. She was just happy to have gotten out alive. But the Alpha was still out there, and as she remembered the words it had whispered inside her head, she shivered.  
She'd be sporting stiches for a few days – which meant she couldn't run track – and had to have rabies shots – which sucked. Once more, tomorrow was Saturday, her date with Isaac that she would now have to cancel because the doctors didn't want her over exerting herself.

It was midnight by the time Scott came to see her. Her mom had pulled up to the house and had got out with only, "I'm really disappointed in you." As her parting words. Everyone was tucked away in their bedrooms, Anna noted as she'd trudged upstairs. She could hear the music blaring through the door of Kyle's room whereas the soft blare of the TV was the only thing that illuminated Georgina's.  
She went to her room and threw off the pair of demolished jeggings – damaged beyond repair, a parting gift from the Alpha to match her scars – throwing her t-shirt into the laundry basket, and hoping she might be able to resurrect her sneaker boots which had only been slightly torn through. But not tonight. Tonight she needed some normality. She struggled into a vest and loose fitting pajama bottoms and threw her hair back into a ponytail that sat awkwardly on the top of her head.  
She paced over to her computer to try and video chat with her best friend Carly but unsurprisingly, her best friend wasn't online. It was 2AM.  
Then she heard a knock at the door, soft enough for only her ears to here in the only bedroom at the front of the house. She tiptoed downstairs quietly, not wanting to wake her mother, who's soft snoring wafted through the oak veneer of the door.  
She opened it to see Scott standing there, still in the same cloths he'd worn that night. "Hi." Scott said, as he wrung his hands. Anna half smiled and stepped aside for him to come in.  
"What's the latest drama and where is Stiles?" Anna asked before he could speak. He looked at her apologetically before speaking.  
"There's no drama," he said, "And I came to talk to you. It's Alison. She- she broke up with me."  
Anna stared at him for a long moment in disbelief, but couldn't decide whether her astonishment was directed at their break up or the fact he hadn't come to see her without trouble following close behind and she didn't mean Stiles. "I think we should definitely get a drink. I think I need a glass of wine after today anyway."  
She led him into the kitchen, and threw him a beer. Elena didn't mind them drinking, just as long as they didn't binge. She was "cool" like that.  
"Here," she said, sliding the cookie jar across the table, "Take a handful. You're going to need them."  
"I don't think cookies will help." He snapped, staring into the jar gloomily. He looked as though he was about to cry.  
"Believe me, I have been through some hard breakups," She instructed him, "You will _need _those cookies."

Seven cookies and a lot of crying later, Anna was hugging Scott and trying to reassure him. "Just think of all the fun things you can do now," she told him, trying to look on the Brightside, "You'll have more money to spend on yourself and more freedom."  
He nodded, but it wasn't at all enthusiastic. "I can't stop thinking about her," Scott vented, "I love her. And it hurts. So much."  
"I know," Anna said gently, "But it gets better. It does. Have you tried talking to her."  
"I texted," Scott said, "But I don't want to push my luck." Anna understood. For all Scott knew, her parents had confiscated her phone and her dad would be the one to read his message. "So, your leg," he said, redirecting his attention to the bulky bandage beneath her trousers. "Bummer."  
"Tell me about it," she sighed, gulping another mouthful of wine. It tasted foul in her mouth, but she swallowed it. "I can't run track; have to stay at home all weekend and I can't go out on my date with Isaac, Saturday night. But, you know, whatever."  
"I'm sorry," he mumbled, "It's all my fault I – wait, what? You were gunna go on a date with Isaac? Isaac Lahey?"  
Anna blushed. She'd forgot she hadn't told anybody but Carly. "Yeah," she told him, "I have a date. Or at least I did, until," – she pointed at her leg – "Alpha asshole decided to ruin it. I really hate this guy. Can someone please kill him before I do?" that made Scott laugh and Anna giggle into the rim of her glass. "But seriously though," she replied in a hushed voice, "We need to stop it. He's getting more violent by the second. What do we do?"  
Scott looked at her hopelessly, "Honestly, I don't know. And I have something to tell you," he whispered, "Tonight, when I snapped the key. I did it to protect you, all of you. The Alpha called me out, forced me to shift."  
Anna shivered, "I know," she said, "I felt it too." She missed out the part where the Alpha had actually spoken to her inside her head. Scott gave her a confused look and she gestured to her leg again. He nodded, jaw tightening.  
"But the thing is. He didn't just do that to lure me to the school. He sent that text to Alison. He was the one who brought her here, he didn't want to kill you," Scott pressed, fists wrapping around the countertop.  
"He wanted you to do it." Anna said in a barely audible voice that shook with an earthquake had begun inside her. Scott nodded.  
"He wanted me to get rid of my old pack. But something happened to me Anna. It was like- like I wanted to kill you. All of you."  
Anna put her arms around his neck. A foolish move, she knew, after the shocking revelation but a necessary one. "Scott," she whispered at him, "You're one of my best friends. I know you would never hurt me, not on purpose."  
Scott took in a long, deep breath. "I wouldn't be so sure if I was you."


	14. 14: It's Supernatural, I'm Coming Undone

**This Chapter was inspired by -** Voodoo Child - Rogue Traders.

* * *

Anna tucked a strand of windblown black hair behind her ear as she prepared to enter the school. Erica was back on her feet after her last seizure but still looked gaunt and ill. Carly was shooting her disapproving looks and tutting. "I can't believe you would do something like that! Are you out of your mind?" Anna had rarely seen Erica this angry, and never directed at her, "Why did you listen to the boys? If you knew they were putting themselves in danger! Why did you not just ring the police?"  
"I'm sorry," Anna mumbled eyes downcast because the floor had suddenly become so hypnotic, "I was a dumbass."  
"Yep," Carly agreed, "But you're our dumbass." Carly threw her arms around her best friend and wrestled a kiss out of her.  
"Carly, I'm injured!"  
Carly released her and let her stumble away. The pain had subsided – but not at night, when the same nightmares stalked her dreams. Running through the woods, being chased by a wolf, coming across a clearing and smelling the scent of smoke in the air; seeing the pretty shotgun style house go up in flames and hearing the desperate screaming of those trapped inside – burning alive right before her eyes – while she stood there, unable to do anything even if she wanted to in this strange astral world. And eventually the wolf would get her and she'd feel it as she was ripped to pieces, splashes of scarlet clouding her vision…  
"Oh my God!" Carly shrieked, interrupting Anna's grim thoughts. She was pointing at a sleek black, expensive-looking car that was sliding up towards the school. It was more like a limousine and shone in the bright Californian sun. "Do you have any idea who that is?"  
Some kid got out. He had a shock of brown hair and black ray bans that veiled his eyes. Anna didn't see what was so great about him, until other people began to stop and stare too. The kid smirked. Obviously he was used to attention.  
Anna snorted. "No… what's so special about him?" Anna groaned and readjusted her bag strap, hauling the heavy books back up that were threatening to fall off her shoulders. Her body ached.  
"That's Alec Wild!" Erica gushed, "His dad's one of the richest people in the States!"  
"So?" Anna sniffed.  
_"So," _Carly stage-whispered, "He could have chosen anywhere to live. Los Angeles, New York, Key West, London, Paris, _Rome._ But he chose Beacon Hills."  
Anna eyes narrowed. She would have to do some digging on the mysterious Alec Wild. "Maybe he did it to get away from all the gossip." She noted as Erica and Carly fan-girled beside her. The boy whipped off his sunglasses and took a nice, long look at the school, gathering a first impression. Then he met eyes with Anna and seemed to stop abruptly.

He stared at her for a long moment, and it was a passionate look that made her want to hide away. Recognition sparked and he came jogging over. "Hey, sorry to bother you I…" he trailed off for a moment before finding his voice, "Are you related to someone called Caroline Danvers?"  
Anna racked her brains but came up short, "Sorry, no." she said and his face seemed to fall a little.  
"Sorry for bothering you," he amended, "You just remind me of her."  
Anna nodded not sure if that was a good thing. "Well… I'm Anna. And this is Erica and Car-" but when she turned to gesture to them, they had vanished. Anna spotted them again, fast walking towards school, "Cowards." Anna rolled her eyes.  
Alec laughed. "I tend to have that effect on people," he said, "I'm Alec by the way, Alec Wild, you don't know where Room…." He glanced down at his floor plan and then back up at her, "201 is, do you?"  
"Sure," she told him, "That's chemistry. I'm in that class, follow me."

* * *

They got strange looks on the way to Chemistry that Anna couldn't decipher. It was one of two things though. Her leg getting stared at because by now, pretty much everyone had heard of her run in with the "mountain lion" at the school or glares because she was walking with a millionaire's son.  
"So, who do you run with?" Alec asked abruptly; Anna started at him in abject horror.  
"E-excuse me?" she stuttered.  
"Sorry," he said, "I put that badly. I mean, who do you hang out with. Drama kids? Chess club? Preppy, popular kids?" – He gave her an up and down look before adding, "Goths?"  
"Oh," she replied in mild surprise, "I guess… I guess I haven't decided yet."  
"That's nice," he told her, "It's good to have a choice."  
Walking into class, Anna left Alec to talk to Mr. Harris. She took a seat behind Isaac and in front of Danny, smiling at both of the boys in greeting and wondering what Alec would do seeing as they had a test and it was his first day. Mr. Harris sat him in the corner and a moment later he was delving into his bag and pulling out his IPod and a book to read, settling comfortably into his seat that was positioned away from the rest of the class so she couldn't disturb them.  
"Mr. McCall, please take a seat." Anna glanced over to see Scott staring at Alison and she felt like throwing something at him. Alison needed time, like Scott. The stupidity of boys never failed to amaze Anna. A second later, Erica came clattering into the room with her friend, Boyd. Anna didn't know him very well – the most interaction she had with him was when he occasionally came to eat lunch with Erica, Carly, Isaac and herself.  
"Hey, Anna," he said as he passed her row, "I heard about what happened, you okay?" she smiled back at him, "I'm good thanks." He nodded at her once more before taking a seat.  
Anna hopes were high. Despite the fact that she was failing Calculus twined with the Alpha problem, things were looking up. She'd wished for a change at the beginning of the school year and she had gotten her wish in many ways. She had found she was more popular than ever before, even among Lydia's clique, who had gradually gotten used to her quiet presence. But there was always the downside that came with so much happiness. It meant that evil had to balance it out. Her nightmares, being attacked by the Alpha, the scratching at her door, it all felt like it was building up to something Anna didn't think she was ready for.

And then there was Isaac.

She hadn't spoken to him since she'd cancelled their date. He had taken it well but there was an unmistakable hint of disappointment in his voice as he'd hung up on her on Saturday.  
"You have 45 minutes to complete the test. Twenty five percent can be earned right now by simply putting your name on the blue book," Harris droned in his usual monotone, "However as it happens all the time, one of you will inexplicably fail to put your name on the cover and I'll be left again questioning my decision to ever become a teacher. So let's get the disappointment over with and begin."  
Anna stretched out before attempting the test paper. She scrawled her name across the front and opened the booklet. She stared down at the papers in disbelief. "_What the fuck is this?!"_ she whispered to herself but as she turned the pages, she found the questions seemed to get easier. She sighed in relief and attempted the first question. She looked up again and met eyes with Carly, who was clearly struggling. She shot her friend a sympathetic look before continuing.  
Out the corner of her eye, Anna caught Scott fidgeting. His hands were scrunched into tight fists and his eyes darted frantically around the room. Then he just got up and bolted out. "Mr. McCall!" Harris shouted. Anna didn't even hesitate; she dropped her pen and rushed out after him along with Stiles. "Miss. Chambers! Mr. Stilinski!"  
"Scott! SCOTT!" Anna and Stiles yelled their voices only slightly out of time with each other. The noise echoed across the empty corridors but they gained nothing in exchange. Stiles and Anna gave each other a frantic look as Stiles bent down and picked up Scott's discarded backpack. Stiles moved to his pocket and took out his phone, dialing Scott's number as Anna waited anxiously beside him.  
Scott's ringtone sounded somewhere down the hall and Anna and Stiles followed it as desperately as Hansel and Gretel had followed the breadcrumbs back to their home. The ringing got louder when they pushed open the boys' locker room along with the sound of running water. Anna walked carefully towards the showers, her mind wandering back to the last encounter with Scott in the locker room when he'd almost killed her. The memory still made her blood run cold.  
Stiles looked relieved when he saw Scott slumped over in the shower. "Anna? Stiles?"  
"What is it?" Stiles asked. "Are you changing?" Anna said.  
Scott gripped his chest, as if pained, and wheezed, "No. I- I can't breathe."  
Stiles began rooting through the bag, pulling at the sip until he ripped out the inhaler that Scott had dropped the night he'd been turned into a werewolf. "Here use this." He looked at Stiles then at Anna, "Just do it!" she snapped and he pushed the inhaler into his mouth, pressing down on the plunger twice.  
"I was having an asthma attack?"  
"No," Stiles replies, "You were having a having a panic attack. But actually thinking you were having an asthma attacked stopped the panic attack. Irony."  
Anna was impressed, "How did you know how to do that?"  
"I used to get them after my mom died," he explained. Stiles looked back to Scott, "Not fun, huh?"  
Scott sighed, "I looked at her and it was like someone hit me in the ribs with a hammer."  
"Yep," Anna informed him, "That's heartbreak-"  
"About two billion songs have been wrote about it." Stiles added.  
"I can't stop thinking about her."  
Stiles swayed on his feet. "Well, just think about this. Her dad's a werewolf hunter and you're a werewolf so it was bound to become an issue." Anna stepped on his foot. Hard. He yelped and sprang backwards, "Stiles," she hissed, "Not helping."  
"Anyway," Anna continued, "I need to go and think up a real good excuse as to why the three us of freaked out and ran out of the Chemistry test that I actually could have passed! So, any suggestions?" the boys shook her head at her. "Great," she moaned, "Just great. Scott, just try and breathe and remember. It's the moon. It's all just the full moon."  
Anna returned to Chemistry class, her head spinning with ideas for excuses. Whatever she said, it had to be pretty good.

* * *

"Hey guys!" Anna called at lunch, coming to sit beside Erica. She wasn't eating with Stiles and Scott today even if they were estranged from Alison and Lydia. There had been a lot of underlying tension since Lydia's clique had decided to sit with her and the boys at lunch one time and Carly had noticed. The four people she was sat with Erica, Boyd, Isaac and Carly all openly despised Jackson and Lydia for various different reasons but there was all one common event that the "hottest couple of campus" had caused. They'd all picked on everybody sat down at least once in their lives, even the sweet-natured Erica.  
"How far are you guys with your history projects?" Boyd pondered. Anna and Isaac exchanged a look that told him everything and Carly sighed dramatically.  
"Good, so far," Carly vented, "But Danny has Lacrosse practice twice a week _and _goes to the gym. I mean, who goes to the gym if they don't have to?"  
Anna giggled and looked out across the cafeteria as she popped chips into a mouth. The face of a flustered Alec Wild appeared as various students bumped into him. He was looked as if he'd just stepped out of a designer catalogue that people looked at when they went to runway shows. He was wrapped in Chanel clothing, probably costing more than Anna's entire wardrobe. Lydia had also spotted him and begun to make a beeline for him when Anna decided to save him. "Hey Alec!" she called, he snapped around at the sound of his name. Anna waved like a lunatic; "Over here!" the four of them were giving her swift looks, shaking their heads at her. She ignored them.  
Alec came over shyly and hovered by the table. "Do you want to sit with us?" she said, forcing Carly to shift herself so there was seat free. Carly looked disgruntled about having to sit right next to Greenberg.  
"Thanks," he said gratefully, "I'm Alec." He said to the rest of them. Erica and Carly began whispering furiously next to her. She kicked them under the table with her good leg.  
"The new kid, right?" Boyd asked. Alec nodded. "Damn," he exclaimed, "How'd you end up in a one horse town like Beacon Hills?"  
Alec leaned back in his chair and shrugged, "My dad has is reasons," was all he would say in his defense, "Besides, at least the locals seem one hell of a lot nicer to folk then where I come from."  
"I wouldn't be so sure, if I was you," Isaac said bitterly, "We still got an alleged murderer on the loose and Anna was attacked by a mountain lion."  
Alec's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. "For real?" Anna nodded, "Well, maybe Beacon Hills won't be as boring as I thought."

_Oh, Alec,_ Anna thought, _If only you knew._

* * *

"What the hell was that?" Anna snapped at Scott as they rolled home in Stiles's jeep. Stiles was giving her a ride home today because Kyle had detention. Again. The full moon would be up soon but the effects were already beginning to show on Scott.  
"I was only trying to score, jeez," Scott justified as Stiles looked exhausted. He rested his free arm on the side of his door and held his head. "Why does everyone think I'm such a terrible person?"  
"We don't!" Anna yelled, frustrated, "But you're a werewolf, Scott. Ten times more powerful than a regular person. And you could have put Danny in the hospital today! _Danny._ Your friend?"  
"But I didn't-" He began.  
"-You got lucky." Anna spat.  
At home, Anna paced in her room for a moment, before trying to video chat with Carly. Surprisingly, her friend wasn't online so instead she texted. She didn't know on what she was planning on doing Monday night if Carly didn't text back.  
For a while, she sat reading, perched on the edge of her bed and then she went downstairs to get some cookies. The house was derelict, apart from Georgina who was singing loudly off key in the living room. "You wanna cookie?" Anna called from the kitchen.  
"No, thanks." Georgina yelled back.

That's when she heard it. There was a horrible sound from outside and then the cat flap opened and the shell of a Siamese creped in. What she saw shocked Anna and she almost screamed as the mauled animal collapsed against the kitchen floor. "Tybalt!" animal yelped and ran to aid the animal before thinking. It scratched her out of fear, so she cautiously stroked the Siamese's head until its growling turned into purring.  
"Don't look, Georgie!" Anna said as she scooped the cat into her arms. It made pathetic mews as Anna inspected the poor creature. It had deep vicious bite wounds seemed to cover every square inch of fur and bloodstains were thick and many.  
"Oh no!" Georgina cried, "What happened! Poor Tybalt!"  
"I don't know," Anna replied, trying to keep calm, "I'm going to take him to the animal clinic. Come on."

* * *

Anna waited anxiously for news on Tybalt. She'd called mom, who'd freaked out but couldn't get off work. Now she sat with Georgina, tapping her foot impatiently. She'd never liked cats much, but the Siamese had grown on her and they shared a love-hate relationship. Now, with the cat's life hanging in the balance, she came to truly discover how much she relied on Tybalt. Like how he would come to her when she was at her lowest and how he was basically her own personal alarm clock. She'd really taken the annoying thing for granted these past couple of years.  
"Miss Chambers?" Anna looked up bluntly into the neutral face of Dr. Deaton.  
"How is he?" Georgina asked immediately.  
"He's sustained some deep flesh wounds and has lost a lot of blood. He's on an IV now and I'll have to keep him overnight for observation," – in a lower voice, he told Anna, "but his chances are slim."  
Anna felt like crying. "Do you know what attacked him?"  
"We ran DNA tests but…" Deaton trailed off, staring at his results.  
"But what?"  
"Well, it appears that a large canine attacked your cat. Maybe a fox or possibly a wolf," Deaton said, "But it's highly unlikely wolves are migratory but they-"  
Anna wasn't listening; she just kept hearing three words over and over again in her head. _Possibly a wolf. _Her jaw set and anger rushed through her. Why was the Alpha doing this to her? _It's toying with me, _Anna thought, _It's going after the people I love. _Okay, so Tybalt didn't actually classify as people but he was still family. And how long would it be before the Alpha actually attacked a person she loved?  
"Just go home, Anna," Deaton advised, "He's been through a rough deal but if he's strong enough, he'll live."

_Oh, Tybalt, _Anna thought, _this is all my fault! Please don't die, you cute furball!_

* * *

It was pitch black when Anna awoke. Her mom had trudged home at around ten and had gone straight up to her room, depressed by the news of her cat possibly dying. All the way home, Anna had had to avoid awkward questions from Georgina like "What attacked him?" and "Is he going to be okay?" she was thankful for the relief that came with her mother's sadness.  
Even Kyle seemed torn up about it, and he despised Tybalt. "Bummer." Was all he'd said when Anna had told him the news. But at least he hadn't made a jab about the cat getting what he deserved like she expected her big brother to.  
She stared at her alarm blearily and was suddenly aware of the sharp pain shooting through her leg like someone was twisted a knife around in her wound. She bolted up right and ran to the bathroom, locking it behind her.  
She ripped her pajama leg up to reveal the wound. The stiches were coming free of their own accord, as if her skin were rejecting them. Her muscles strained against them, forcing them free, sending agony panging through her body.  
The pain was increasing, and with a sharp tug she pulled them free. The pain lessened immediately, and Anna grabbed a washcloth to dab at the river of blood that had welled to the surface. But it didn't bleed as much as Anna expected and soon only tip drops dripped out.  
_This isn't happening. Wounds don't heal this fast._  
Her mind panicked, but she hadn't been influenced by this moon, which would have been her first full moon if she had been bitten. It had to be something else, she just didn't know what yet.

She tried to fall back to sleep but all she could hear was loud drumming in the distance that seemed to be gaining on her. She moaned in bed and reached to stroke the scars that had begun to throb again. Maybe she should go back to the hospital.  
There was a soft knock outside her door. "Sweetie?" her mother called, "Are you alright?"  
Anna sighed, "I can't sleep for all that drumming."  
Her mom was silent for a moment. Then, she asked, "What drumming?"


	15. 15: Who's Side Am I On?

**This Chapter was inspired by -** Breath of Life by Florence and the Machine

Out of all the things Anna could have been doing on such a beautiful night, recklessly driving Derek Hale's Camaro at high speed around the streets of Beacon Hills while getting chased by a werewolf hunter was not in her top one hundred. It probably should have been by now.  
"We're gunna die. We're gunna die." Anna kept yelling every time they turned a sharp bend. Stiles rolled his eyes at her.  
Scott ignored her. "Faster?" he asked, as the car skidded across the uneven surface.  
"Much faster." Stiles informed him. Scott slammed his foot into the accelerator and the car lurched forward. The world became a blur of motion around the car as they sipped past the many factories of the Beacon Hills warehouse district.  
"Okay, Scott, I don't think you're grasping the concept of a car chase here!" Stiles said warily as he peaked through the back window. Anna was struggling to stay low in the back seat, fighting the urge to look back and see how close the hunters were.  
"If I go faster I'll kill us!" Scott yelled at him.  
"Well, I'm you don't go faster they'll kill us!" Stiles shouted, "Come on, Anna, back me up."  
Anna shrugged, "Sorry dude," she said, "I'm on Scott's side with this one." When Stiles looked wounded, she added, "What? I get travel sick." Scott pushed down again on the accelerator and Anna nearly flew into the back of the passenger seat. "Ow!" she moaned, rubbing her leg.  
It still hurt, but was actually healing better without the stiches. She shivered as she remembered that night; Tybalt's attack, ripping her own stiches off by hand and then hearing that creepy drumming that no one else seemed to be able to hear.  
"Hey," Anna frowned, looking out at the derelict road, "Where'd they go?"  
Scott and Stiles both frantically looked through the back window, but saw nothing. Stiles pressed a button on the police intercom he'd stolen from his dad. _**"All units, suspect is on foot, heading into the Ironworks."**_ Stiles looked exasperated.  
Scott gave a swift left turn, and then wrenched the steering wheel right at high velocity, pulling into the ironworks. He looked as though he were under fire when the Camaro sped into the factory.  
"Get in!" Stiles yelled, flinging open the car door and scrambling into the back beside Anna. She grumbled as she was forced to move.  
Derek ran for the Camaro, a halo of bullets chasing him the entire way. Anna yelped as she heard at least three hit the door near Stiles.  
"What part of laying low don't you understand?" Scott yelled, slamming his fist into the steering wheel.  
"Dammit! I had him!" Derek vented.  
"Who the Alpha?" Stiles asked.  
"Yes, I almost had him, he was right in front of me!" Derek shouted, "Then the friggin' police showed up!"  
"Woah, hey, they're just doing their jobs." Derek glared at Stiles until he sunk back into his seat. Anna swatted him out of the way so she could hear the conversation more clearly.  
"Yeah," Derek replied, "Thanks to somebody who decided to make me the most wanted fugitive in the entire state!"  
"Can we seriously get past that?" Scott asked, "I made a dumbass mistake, I get it."  
"Alright!" Anna screamed at all of them, "Enough! Just- how did you find him?" Derek gave her a look of disbelief for a moment, and then refused to speak. "Can you at least try and trust us for half a second?" Scott asked.  
"Yeah," Stiles put in, "All of us." Derek glared at him for a long moment, and Anna was actually afraid he might hit Stiles. "Or just him," Stiles amended, "I'll be back here."  
"Look, the last time I spoke to my sister she was close to figuring something out. She found two things. The first was a guy named Harris-"  
Stiles bolted forwards in his seat. "Our chemistry teacher?"  
"Why him?" Anna asked.  
"I don't know yet." Derek replied.  
"What's the second?" Scott asked. Derek patted his pockets but only very lightly, as if he was searching for something extremely precious.  
"Some kind of symbol," Derek said, unfolding a crisp piece of paper. On it was a symbol of a wolf with its paw out beneath a sun. It seemed vaguely familiar to her.  
Scott stared at it for a moment then shut his eyes in frustration. "What?" Derek asked him, "You know what this is?"  
"I've seen it, on a necklace," Scott said gruffly, shifting gears. He sighed. "Alison's necklace."

* * *

"How the hell did he find out?" Anna demanded as herself, Stiles and Scott turned a corner.  
"I have no idea!" Scott replied, clearly panicking but he wasn't the only one. They were all freaking out. Stiles tapped his shoulder. "Did he say it out loud?" he asked, "The word?"  
"What word?" Scott asked dubiously.  
"Werewolf!" Anna and Stiles replied in unison, if not a little too loudly. Scott shoved Stiles, causing him to loose balance and stumble into Anna. "Hey!" she yelped, "Injured!"  
They both ignored her. "Did he say "I know you're a werewolf"?"  
"He didn't exactly put it pretty frickin' clearly."  
"Okay, maybe it's not as bad as it seems," Anna offered, "I mean, he doesn't have any proof, right?"  
Scott shrugged. "And if he wanted to tell someone, who's gunna believe him anyway?" Stiles finished.  
"How about Alison's father," Scott snapped in exasperation.  
Stiles paused for a moment, silent. "Okay, it's bad."  
"I need a cure," Scott begged, "Right now."  
"Does he know about Alison's father?" Anna asked gently. Scott couldn't seem to find his voice and trailed off hopelessly.  
"Where's Derek?"  
Anna raised an eyebrow at him, "Why do you want to know?"  
"I've got a plan," he informed them, "It's going to take a bit of time and finesse though."  
"We have that game tonight, it's quarter finals and it's your first game." Scott reminded him. Anna certainly couldn't miss that. Her brother was playing not to mention her two best friends.  
"Yeah, I know, do you have a plan for Alison yet?" Stiles asked and Anna felt strangely left out.  
"She's in my next class." Scott replied.  
"Get the necklace."

* * *

Anna sat quietly through Biology taking notes until a piece of paper was thrown at her desk. She unfurled it and saw it was from Isaac. _Need 2 talk,_ it read, _find me after class. I. _She only knew one _I. _so it wasn't exactly difficult to guess who'd sent the note.  
After class, she waited for Isaac to stream out, last as usual. "What is it?" she asked as soon as he approached her but he took her by the elbow and started walking away. "Not here." He said.  
He led her across the lacrosse field where only a small gaggle of students were and behind the back of the bleachers. She remembered the last time she'd been at the bleachers, when she'd seen Danny knocked to the ground. Last time, she'd been full of anger but this time there was a very different emotion running through her. Nervous desire.  
"I needed to talk to you," he explained, leaning against the cool metal, "I didn't like the way we left things. I'm sorry for being so abrupt."  
"No, no," Anna said, coming to join him beside the back of the bleachers, "I'm glad you did."  
"So, the thing is. This morning, I got up and was planning on doing the same thing I always do. Come to school, eat lunch alone, go home or go to work without talking to you… without fixing things."  
Anna nodded respectfully, unsure of what to say. Emotion bubbled up and chocked the words before they left her throat. "And I would just sit and think about all the things that I should probably be telling you."  
Anna smiled. "Like what?" she asked, "What would you think about?"  
"Well…" he began thoughtfully. It was so peaceful hear that he barely even had to speak to be heard. It was nice, almost comforting. "I would think that, I had pretty much convinced myself to give up on love. That all the girls at my school were too stuck up or too good for me. I would think "Focus on your studies, you're failing Chemistry!" and I would never ever be brave enough to talk to Anna Chambers, a girl I've been in love with since I saw her in freshman year."  
Anna gasped. She'd never known. Guilt wrapped around her and she felt her eyes blur with tears. "But all my reasons would be excuses, hiding the truth and that is that," – he came to stand beside her and took her hand within his – "I'm in love with you, Anna. I always have been and no matter what, I always will be."  
"I-" She didn't know what to say. She had never been told that before. Her entire life, she had thought she was good for nothing. Worthless. And now, someone was in love with her. "I'm scared, Isaac," she confessed, "I'm scared that if I let myself be happy, that the world will all just come crashing down and that everyone will just…. Leave. And I'll be left to pick up the pieces but I don't want to be like that anymore," she leaned in closer, so she could stare deeper into his hypnotic blue eyes, "So, I would think, that. I met a boy. Well – hit a boy with my brother's car," Isaac laughed, "And my entire world shifted. And I thought: this is it. This is perfect."

He leaned in and locked his mouth onto hers. The kiss was so desperate, Anna felt as though she might wound him if she pulled away too soon. She placed her hands into his hair, brushing through the stiff curls and he gripped the back of her jacket, lifting her onto her tippy toes but even then, she couldn't match his height. Her face burned hot as she finally opened her eyes and looked into his own. They were electric blue, like the color of the hottest part of a flame.  
She was the first to pull away, "I'm sorry," she whispered, "Can we just… can we take this slowly? I've rushed relationships before and…" she trailed off hopelessly.  
If he was hurt, he masked it well. "Of course…" he replied, "So. When you've healed maybe we could give that first date a second go?"

* * *

"Did you get it?" Stiles asked, as soon as he'd sat down next to Anna. Her mouth was still tingling from her encounter with Isaac earlier, when she'd not given him a definitive answer to the date thing. She had wanted to put off all the drama this year, it was not the time, especially with all her SATS coming up and the fact that next year would be her senior year. But like it or not, she was falling in love with the grave digger.  
"Not exactly." Scott replied. He looked wrecked, possibly because of the full moon a couple of nights ago but also because of his break-up with Alison. "She told me never to speak to her again."  
"So, you're not getting the-"  
"I'm not getting the necklace." Scott told him.  
"So, did you find anything else out?"  
Scott sighed, "Well I know one thing about girls and that is they're totally psychotic."  
Anna grinned beside him before biting into her sandwich. "Well, thank you." She said, "Any other ideas on how we're going to stop the crazy Alpha werewolf, get you a cure and then get you back together with Alison so everything can go back to normal?" because Anna really needed the normality and fast. She couldn't be with Isaac if she was constantly putting the lives of everyone she cared about at risk as well as he own. Tybalt was proof enough of that.  
"I did have a plan B for if something like this happened." Stiles told them both.  
"What?" they asked in unison.  
"Just steal the stupid thing!" he cried. Anna gave Scott a firm shake of the head as he began to consider it. "No," she said, "Bad idea. Don't even think about it."  
Scott sighed. "What about Harris?"  
"My dad put him on a 24 hour protective detain," Stiles said, "Steal it."  
Scott was silent for a moment as Anna gnawed off the rest of her sandwich. "Guys," Scott whispered quiet enough for only them to hear, "He's watching us." Anna looked up to see Jackson staring right at them. He was sat with Lydia's clique, as usual but wasn't paying much – or any – attention to them. Anna narrowed her eyes as he kept staring.  
Scott fidgeted in his chair. "What's wrong?" Anna pressed. He'd displayed similar behavior the day he'd ran out of the chemistry test.  
"Jackson's talking to me. He knows I can hear him," Scott said, panicked, "Quick say something to me!"  
"I- Uh-" Anna and Stiles said together. They racked their brains for something, a snippet of conversation they could talk about, but all Anna could think of was Isaac and she didn't want to share that yet. "I can't think of anything my mind's a complete blank." Stiles replied, flailing in his chair.  
"You're mind's blank?!" Scott demanded.  
"Not under this kind of pressure," Stiles put in, "And fyi, he isn't sat with them anymore."  
"Then where the hell is he?"  
Scott's hands wrapped around his tray and they began to vibrate as Jackson pushed his buttons from wherever he was in the room. Anna and Stiles exchanged a look as the tray almost flew out of his hands. There was a clanging sound of metal as Scott tipped the tray and all the eyes of the dining room were on him.

* * *

Later that night, Anna came trudging through the front door. It was the big game tonight, and Anna didn't want to be late to see her brother and best friends play, even with all the craziness that was going on at the moment. She would have to keep an extra eye on Scott tonight though, especially if Jackson suspected something. She shivered and tried to video chat with someone, but no one seemed to be online. They were probably all too hyped up about the game.  
That's when she got the text. Anna jumped slightly, not realizing the phone hadn't been on silent.  
"Hey, Stiles-" she began, but was cut off by his rapid speech.  
"Anna, we have a problem. Like, a big one. Someone sent a text to Lydia's phone with footage of the Alpha jumping through that DVD rental store window after the murderer. Danny managed to trace the text back to Mrs. McCall's account."  
Anna was silent for a moment, and then, as if she'd read his mind, asked. "How soon can you be here?"

In the parking lot of the hospital, Stiles called Scott. He picked up after a couple of rings after an warmed her hands in awkward silence. "It looks just like the drawing." Stiles said down the phone as his cell was yanked away from his ear by Derek who put it on speaker.  
"Did you find anything on it? Or the back of it? A symbol, an inscription, an opening? Something?" but Scott was already disagreeing.  
"No, the thing's flat and no it doesn't open. There's nothing in it, on it, around it. Nothing." Scott amended, "And what about you Stiles, you're supposed to be here, you're first line." There was mumbling before Scott said, "You're not going to play if you're not here to start."  
"I know!" Stiles said, clearly frustrated, "Look, if you see my dad… tell him, tell him I'll be there- I'll just be a little bit late, okay?"  
Derek stared at him for a long moment, "You're not going to make it."  
"I know." Stiles said, and Anna knew as well. She knew that her brother would look up to the bleachers and see she wasn't there and probably be disappointed. She also knew her mom would be mad at her for not supporting her brother and Carly and Erica would think she was being stupid again.  
"And you didn't tell him about his mom, either." Derek said, but Anna shouldn't – couldn't – believe Scott's mom had anything to do with this. It would just be insane.  
"We can't tell him until we find out the truth." Stiles said finally. Derek gave him a look, "By the way, one more thing." Derek grabbed Stiles around the neck and banged his head into the steering wheel.  
"Hey!" Anna began, but he shot her down with one of his domineering glares. She shuffled uncomfortably in her seat. "I'm shutting up."  
"You know what that was for," Derek growled. "Go. Go! And take, _her_ with you, she's irritating."  
Anna narrowed her eyes but followed in suit, climbing out of the back seat once Stiles had jumped out. It was an incredibly awkward squeeze but somehow she managed it.

* * *

"I said I can't find her," Stiles replied as they stalked past each room with care. Anna slowed every so often to catch a glimpse of the different patients, ranging from elderly people to those in comas. Stiles stopped in front of a room that read: **Hale, Peter**. In large capitals above the door. "We've got to ask for a Jennifer according to Derek.

Anna surveyed the room before saying, "He's gone." Stiles relied the information and then repeated it after a moment of tense silence.  
There was a sudden shouting down the phone that even Anna could hear, and she was a foot away. "Stiles, get both of you out of there right now! It's him! He's the Alpha!"  
Stiles grabbed her wrist and backpedaled out of the room. Anna whirled suddenly to see Peter Hale stood in front of him. "Hello, Anna. And you must be Stiles."

Stiles and Anna backed slowly away, Anna's brain overloading with information and questions. Peter was the Alpha? But how, and why now? And how did he know her name? What had he done to her that night at the school?  
"What are you doing here?" A red-haired woman asked, stopping them both dead in their tracks. Something about the woman repulsed Anna, she just moved so unnaturally. "Visiting hours are over."  
Stiles seemed to have lost his voice and just pointed at her for a moment, stumbling over the words. "You're the- him. You're the one that- and he's that-"  
"Stiles, just spit it out." Anna snapped, trembling beside him, "I don't think we have enough time for theatrics!"  
Stiles looked crestfallen, "Oh my god, we're gunna die!" he said dramatically.  
"No," Anna commanded, "No, we're not gunna die. Not without a fight, anyhow," Anna gritted her teeth, hands curling into delicate fists. "Come on!"  
Peter looked at ready to rip her throat out when Derek appeared, smacking the nurse in the face with his elbow, "That's not nice," Peter drawled, "She's my nurse."  
"She's a psychotic bitch helping you kill people," Derek eyes barely shifted to them, "Get out of the way."  
Anna threw herself at a side of the wall closest to Derek and began to slowly move backwards. Never once taking her eyes of Peter Hale. "I'll see you later, Anna." He said as Stiles ducked out of the way of the fight.  
"You think I killed Laura on purpose?" Peter said, advancing, "One of my own family." Anna glanced over at Derek who's eyes shone electric blue and teeth elongated into fangs. "Be careful!" she yelled half-heartedly at him as he raced at Peter, running and pushing up against the side of a wall, leaping high into the air while Anna tried to retrieve Stiles from the battleground.  
Peter grabbed Derek by the collar and slammed him against the wall, sending brick dust flying to the ground. Anna scrambled backwards dragging Stiles along with her whilst trying to avoid the nurse's body.  
"We have to go back!" Anna gasped, as Stiles pulled her towards the exit, "We can't just leave him!"  
"Sure we can," Stiles retorted, gripping her elbow and maneuvering her towards the door, "He's a jackass. Come on."  
"No," Anna said, pulling free, "He's our friend. And like it or not, he saved our lives. Shouldn't we return the favor?" Anna never thought she'd hear the words leave her mouth. She'd never truly hated anyone, until she met Derek Hale. He'd threatened her family and put her and the lives of her friends on the line. A fortnight ago or so, she'd be inclined to leave him for dead but now she understood his motives. He was a wrapped person after his family's deaths, similar to what Anna had been like after her father's death. If her family had been slaughtered, she'd probably be changed. Become a person who only wanted revenge, even if it meant becoming emotionless to do so.  
Stiles sighed, "Anna, you know what your problem is?" Anna shook her head, "You're heart's too big. You care too much about other people - even those who don't deserve it – that you're willing to put your own life at risk to do so."  
Anna stared at her feet as the sound of growling escalated, "I know," she said, "But we have to do something. We can't just leave him here to die."  
"We'll find Scott," Stiles amended, "And then we can help Derek. Can we go now, please?" despite every urge, every instinct telling her not to leave Derek to the hands of the Alpha, Anna nodded and took off into the bitter night.


	16. 16: So Darkness I Became

**This Chapter was inspired by - **Cosmic Love - Florence and the Machine

* * *

It was only three days until the winter formal, but unlike every year before, it was the last thing on Anna's mind. She was far too worried about the threat of the Alpha to bother with some silly high school dance. And if she didn't stop the Alpha there might not be a formal to go to at all. Anna sighed and slumped into the back seat of the jeep she had now become far too familiarized with. They had to find Jackson, get him to stop this search for the bite. Anything to stop her thinking about Isaac and the recent betrayal at the hands of Derek. She'd trusted him to help Scott, put her life on the line to help him more the once and he repaid her with siding with the Alpha. She was so angry last night; her own nails had drawn blood when she'd dug her fingers into her palms. Even now her jaw was set, and if she saw Derek, she thought she might do something she regretted.  
Stiles pulled the jeep into a disused parking lot and stopped abruptly. "Yo!" Scott called out of the driver's window. Anna rolled her eyes. Were they really going to treat Jackson as if they were his friends?  
"Hey!" Anna called, despite herself as Stiles shouted an "'sup!" in greeting.  
Scott frowned, leaning out of the passenger side window. "Is everything okay?"  
"Hey, Scott," Mr. Argent said with a false smile, looking at each of them in turn. "You're friend here was having car trouble we're just taking a look."  
"There's a shop right down the street," Scott said, gesturing vaguely, "I'm sure they have a tow truck."  
"Yeah, you want a ride?" Stiles asked turning the ignition as Scott opened the door for him. Anna wriggled into the seat behind Stiles, loathing the fact she had to sit next to Jackson. Again, she was surprised at this. She'd never openly hated anyone before, it had all begun happening when Scott had been bitten and things got thrown out of whack. "Hey come on, Jackson. You're way too pretty to be out here by yourself." Stiles told him, gesturing to the backseat.  
"Come on, Jackson," Anna moaned, "I do have places to be today, you know."  
Jackson nodded and had begun walking towards the car when Mr. Argent called out, "Hey, kids!" and turned to ignition in Jackson's car. The silver Porsche roared into life, hissing like a long-caged viper. "I told you I knew a few things about cars."  
The way he looked at them, so smugly but with a hidden coldness that felt like it was reaching out to them off his body, was more than Anna could take. She turned away, looking at the boys' various reactions. Jackson looked about ready to wee himself, while Stiles watched with wariness and Scott just looked angry.  
Argent walked away, getting into his SUV and driving away as if nothing had happened. No one took their eyes off the crimson car until it was far gone. Then there was a minute of silence before Jackson snarled, "What are you following me now?"  
Scott slammed the passenger door and rounded on him, "Yes," he growled back, "You stupid freakin' idiot, you almost gave away everything right there!" Stiles and Anna exchanged a look before scrambling out of the truck to try and cool the escalating confrontation.  
"What are you talking about?" Jackson asked, clearly confused.  
Scott groaned in frustration, the veins in his neck bulging with fury, "He thinks you're the second beta!"  
Jackson's eyes widened. "What?"  
"He thinks you're me." Scott brought his fist around and slammed it into the side of Stiles's jeep with a metallic ringing loud enough to make Anna flinch backwards a step or so.  
"Dude, my jeep." Stiles said, but did nothing to intervene.  
"I can hear someone's heart beating from literally a mile away," Scott sighed, "Now he thinks there's something wrong with you and now I have to keep an eye on you so he doesn't kill you, too!" Scott roared and headed again for the side of the jeep. Stiles grabbed him around the shoulders. "Hey, hey, hey. Let's just stay away from Stiles's jeep, okay?"  
"This is your problem, not mine!" Jackson yelled, "I didn't say anything so now you're the one who's going to get me killed!" Jackson shoved him and he shot up against Stiles's jeep, much to the owner's dismay.  
"Guys, stop hitting my jeep!" Stiles said, but Scott only pushed Jackson, sending him stumbling backwards. They looked about ready to kill each other when Anna intervened. She pressed a palm up against both of them, stopping them dead in their tracks. "Stop it, both of you!" she shouted, "You think this is helping? It's only making things worse! Don't you get that?"  
There was a moment of tense silence before Scott exploded, "If he's comes after you, I won't be able to protect you!" he yelled, "I can't protect anyone." He looked down at Anna wedged between the two testosterone fuelled boys and then up again at Stiles.  
"Why're you looking at us?" he asked, almost wounded. Scott didn't reply, still smoldering from his argument with Jackson, but Anna got the message pretty loudly. If the Alpha came after them, Scott wouldn't be able to save them like he usually did.

She was on her own this time.

"All you have to do is get me what I want and I will be fine protecting myself." Jackson spat, as the shockingly clear realization reached him.  
"No!" Scott screeched, "Trust me. All it does is make things worse."  
"Oh, really?" Jackson said cockily, "You can hear anything you want and run faster than humanly possible. Sounds like a real hardship McCall!"  
Scott sighed, "Yeah," he said, "Yeah, I'm really fast now but half the time I'm running away from people who want to kill me! I hear things like my girlfriend telling people how much she hates me before breaking up with me! I'M NOT LYING TO YOU! It ruins your life."  
"It ruined your life," Jackson retorted, "You had all the power in the world and you didn't know what to do with it. You know what it's like? It's like when you're fifteen and someone buys you a Porsche when they should have started you out with a nice little Honda," Jackson was behaving like an ass, again, Anna noted and she had the feeling that if he was going to be talking to Scott like that for much long that she would probably slap him. "Me," he whispered, "I drive a Porsche."  
Jackson turned his back on them, leaving the three of them gawping at him in mild disgust as he climbed into his shiny sports car and zoomed off into the fast fading day. "Tacos?" Anna asked them, her stomach growling. They stared at her in disbelief at the normality of her conversation, "Maybe not then."

* * *

Anna traipsed through the door at around eight. It was a Saturday, which meant the book store would be thriving with costumers all eager to buy the latest hot romance books to fulfill their empty lives. Anna shoved her face with cookies before dashing up to her room. She hadn't really done anything all day, hadn't had the motivation.  
She should have been studying for her Calculus re-sit after dropping to a lowly E and begging her teacher for a make-up. He had agreed, but only because he knew Anna got crappy grades in his subject with or without revision. She should also have been round to Carly's by now to explain for her erratic behavior and missing the game. At least Kyle wasn't still pissed at her for not turning up, even though she couldn't tell him, it was as if he could sense she had good reason for missing it, and that was good enough for him.  
She sat down on her bed and just thought for a while as the rain tapped at her window, annoyingly loud. Her bedroom door was pushed open, and a Siamese slunk in. It had been a week since the attack, and Anna was still bitter about it. She should have been there – even if he was just a cat – to protect her family from the Alpha. Now Peter Hale was fully recovered and the words _I'll see you later._ still gave her chills.  
"Hey!" She scalded, as the cat jumped onto her bed, it wobbled slightly with the exertion but came to rest beside her, "You're supposed to be taking it easy. No over exerting yourself, remember?" but Anna couldn't exactly judge. On her gimpy leg she'd ran from a werewolf, been in a car that was driving at top speed and ripped the stitches out. Go figure.  
Then she heard another sound barely audible above Tybalt's purring and the rain beating down on her open window. It came again and she rolled off the bed, much to the cat's dismay, and padded to the window on her tippy toes. Before she even knew what was going on, someone launched themselves into her bedroom. She screamed, but it was muffled by someone's hand over her mouth. "Calm down! It's me! It's me!" a familiar voice whispered and Anna broke off immediately. The voice soothed her, she knew that voice.  
"Isaac!" she yelped, forgetting her brother was in the house. Oh well, he probably wouldn't hear her and if he did, he wouldn't care. She had heard his midnight altercations with Simone before.  
Anna didn't know whether to slap the tall boy stood in front of her or to hug him. She settled for both. "Don't do that!" she cried, "She scared the crap out of me!"  
"Sorry." Isaac said, swaying awkwardly on his feet in the middle of the room. Anna was about to offer him her bed to sit on, but didn't want to seem too forward – even if he had declared his undying love for her only a day or so ago – and instead her hand moved to the computer chair. He nodded and slunk down into it.  
Anna threw herself onto the bed next to Tybalt who growled at her. She swatted an uninjured bit of his body and continued. "So…" she began, "How was your Saturday?"  
"Exhausting," he replied, "I just got off work. Dad's been yelling at me all day, among other things." Anna tried to decipher the veiled message behind it. Maybe there wasn't one. Maybe she was just being paranoid. But she'd sensed some underlying tension there.  
"Does your dad know you're here?" Anna asked gently. Her mother had been in a car accident with Mr. Lahey a while back. Apparently, his temper was legendary.  
"He doesn't need to know everything about me," he snapped. Now Anna could feel it, the tension she had discovered earlier. It crackled uncomfortably in the small room, filling her with an elapsing sense of sadness. Even the cat shivered. "Especially not you."  
She looked up swiftly, and he was walking towards her. She sat there awkwardly for a moment, as he waited for her to get the message. When she didn't, he grabbed her by the forearm and yanked her up. She stumbled and Tybalt hissed loudly as he skated from the room. Isaac laughed as she fell into him.  
"I hate cats." He said very slowly, speaking each word very close to her ear so his warm breath brushed the baby hair there and sent tingles down her spine. Her face felt like it was on fire.  
He looked deep in her warm brown eyes, "I love you."  
She stood in shock for a moment, his statement catching her off guard. The words seemed to tangle in her throat. "I love-"  
Before she could think about what she was going to add on to her last statement. He brought his lips down onto hers. And then he kissed her. It was magic, the way his lips connected with hers. It was right, and somehow, among all of the dizziness and the clinging to him like a life line, something inside her changed, never to be reversed. This new feeling could be dwelled upon later, because, for now, she was content to feel his breath come and go in rhythm with her own.  
All the fears and cares of the past few days seemed to melt away. _He does love me,_ she thought. He moaned, and so did she.  
Suddenly, she pulled away.  
"Anna…" he said gently, as she stood frozen only inches from his face. His hands were wrapped around her wrist, fusing her in place, "What's wrong?"  
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry Isaac." Anna's sudden relapse made her think about everything in perfect clarity. Like the small matter of how her big brother was in his bedroom just feet away. "It's not you, it's me. I've never been in love before. With anyone." – But she didn't know whether that was wholly true. She was still trying to work out her feelings for Stiles. They were small, but they were there. And she felt as if she was using Isaac as a puppet in the process – "-Ever since…. Ever since dad, d-died…. It's not been the same. I'm just so rigid and it's not fair on yo-"  
He stroked her hair gently, and she was soothed a little by the contact. "No, it's fine. I get it. When my mom…. Left- I- honestly… I didn't – couldn't…" he seemed to trail off hopelessly and then his face turned grim, "And then my dad…."  
This time, Anna motioned him to sit down on her bed. He hesitated for a moment and then sat down beside her. "My dad… when he's had a rough day, he can be an ass. But sometimes, he takes it a little too far. Derek is the only one that can stop him when he…" Anna thought hard, back to the bruising, all the weird, sensitive behavior, his stiff frame when she'd hugged him and the way his smile always seemed to dwindle on his face, never quite reaching his fierce blue eyes. She gasped with realization.  
"Let me finish," he said hotly, "That is the only reason why I know Derek. But you need to stay away from him Anna, he's dangerous. I saw you take him into Stiles's car a couple of days back but don't ever help him again. He could hurt you."  
_Oh, you have no idea,_ Anna thought bitterly, as the events of the past weeks swelled in on her. Then suddenly, he whispered, "I don't want to go back there, Anna."  
She put a hand up to his face and caressed it with care, as if she could wash away all the years of abuse with a single kind motion. "You don't have to," she said back, "I'll sleep on the floor. You can have my b-"  
"No!" he growled swiftly, "I'll take the floor."  
"No!" Anna squeaked, "You can't sleep on the floor." She climbed into bed, pushing her body to the furthest side of the wall and then opening the blankets for him to join her.  
He looked shocked. She rolled her eyes at him. "Oh please," she began, "I'm offer you a bed to sleep in not anything else. I may not be a chaste goddess – well, actually, I don't know about the goddess part-" – he laughed at her again – "But I'm not about to let you sleep on the floor. So, stop being a moron and just get in before I change my mind.  
Eventually he caved, and slipped under, but stiffly, as if unwilling to relax. Anna just shrugged, she'd tried her best. She'd also decided to give sleep a go tonight.  
"There was one more thing I came to ask you about," Isaac yawned as her head began to loll into sleep, eyes closing with intense exhaustion.  
"Hmm?"  
"Will you go to the winter formal with me?" he asked nervously, running a hand through his hair.  
She stared at him for a moment in disbelief and then her features cracked into a smile. She hugged him around the neck. "Oh Isaac, I'd love to go with you."  
Anna stared at him, long after he'd fallen asleep, thinking about what she was going to wear when another chilling thought crept up on her.

If she didn't stop the Alpha, there might not be a winter formal to go to.

* * *

_Anna was walking on rocky, hilly terrain as she pushed her way through the gnarled forest. It felt as if she'd been walking for days as she pushed past branches and tripped on sharp rocks. The uneven surface cut into her bare feet and twisted brambles and thorns wrapped themselves around her ankles, tearing the skin and leaving a trail of thick, oozing blood.  
Her lungs burned as she called out, "Hello?" but no sound returned. The air was still in the forest, and warm, as if someone had lit a fire. In the distance, she could hear the howl of the wolf that pursued her and started walking faster. "Hello!"  
Then, in the distance, a warm red glow was coming from a small house. A light was on! Her hope came back and she ran forward, not cracking that her feet ached from pebbles and other sharp objects cutting her.  
She came into the clearing, almost shouting with joy but then her happiness turned to horror before her eyes. The house was alight with flames that licked the foundations and inside, she could hear nothing but screaming that filled the night air with sounds of torture. Tears sprang in her eyes. She could hear the cries of children.  
She ran forward, towards the house, wanting to help whoever was trapped but something grabbed her, tearing at her ankle. She fell and cried out as something tore at the flesh there, racking claws across her leg. She swiveled onto her back, propped up by her elbows. It was a large grey wolf, crimson eyes staring into her own.  
It's hackles rose and it pulled its mouth back into a harsh snarl. "Please don't kill me." She begged, but she knew it was useless. She was going to die.  
The last thing she saw was the wolf's eyes gleaming with mockery. Then it tore her throat out. _

* * *

Anna woke with a slap. There was prickly numbness in her cheek as she fought to see through the darkness of her bedroom. Kyle's face was just inches away from hers, his face wild with worry, and starting to show the creeping signs of guilt. She realized what had happened. He had never hit her before. He had to take a few shaky breaths before he could speak. The bedside clock read 4.18.  
"Y-you were screaming," he stammered, "I had t-to wake you. I didn't know what else to do."  
Anna swallowed painfully, her throat swollen and closed off, as if the wolf really had done something to her. "S' okay. Nightmare." She whispered.  
She sat up and realized she was lying in a pool of sweat. Her face was also sticky with either tears or sweat or both. She felt clammy all over. Wiping some of the moisture away, she smiled up at her brother, trying to calm him down. It didn't work.  
"What the hell, Anna? That was not normal," he whispered into the silence with a creeping note of panic and fear for her, "You were saying things. Really awful things."  
Anna sat up in bed, a creeping feeling of dread sneaking around her. "Like what?"  
"Names, mostly. A list of names, over and over again, like Garrison Myers and Kate Argent. And then you started repeating "blood for blood" and "murderers". What the hell were you dreaming about?"  
Anna thought about the Alpha and Derek Hale and the fire at the Hale house and how it was possible arson. She knew she couldn't tell her brother the truth so instead she lied. She managed to convince him that murder was a pretty normal thing to have nightmares about and promised him she wouldn't watch too many scary movies before she went to bed again and Kyle slunk off back into his own room.  
She sighed and reached for the glass on her bed side table but when her feet touched the hardwood floor, she hissed in pain. She switched on the light to get a better look but she already knew what she was going to see.  
Anna stared down at her broken feet in disbelief. The soles were cut deep and all over she was peppered in dust and dirt. Wrapped around her ankles was the hatch-mark pattern of thorns.


	17. 17: My Name Is Death

**This Chapter was inspired by – **Oh Death – Jen Titus.

* * *

When she woke up for the second time, her eyes were red and shiny from crying. This time she dreamt about the night they had found Laura Hale's body and the nightmare had cross-cutted between memories of the girl through someone else's eyes. First as a baby, then as a sarcastic little girl, then a hormonal teenager with a similar taste in clothes and music as Anna and finally a sickly version of a girl standing outside the ruin of the Hale house, weeping.  
She slid out of bed and put her cut feet into her slippers. She gathered the dirty sheets and padded downstairs. No one else was up, she realized, not even Georgina who made a habit of being up at around seven every morning and gradually waking the rest of the house from their individual slumbers. She stuffed the sheets into the washing machine and set it off, and then she went back up to her room to change.  
She still couldn't understand why her brother had woken her and not Isaac. She decided to take a shower and as she was getting out, a note caught her eye. It was tucked away, hidden beneath her Calculus and chemistry books but it was there. She unfolded the small piece of paper and read.

_Anna,_

_I'm sorry I left you. You started screaming and I couldn't wake you up and then I heard your brother coming and I panicked. I only have enough time to write this note and get out, so I'm sorry I didn't say goodbye. Forgive me?  
_

_I. x_

She smiled at the note and tucked it into her satchel as she got dressed. She'd promised she'd go round to Carly's house today; she'd been so distant from her recently. But for the first time in a long time, she just wanted to be left alone.

* * *

At Carly's house, she recounted her entire night, leaving out the parts about werewolves and Alphas and possible genocides. She told her about Isaac, the winter formal and the dream, but didn't tell her she knew the house and probably what the wolf symbolized. She even told her about the dirty sheets and showed her, her cut feet. "So…" Carly finally said, "You think your sleep walking?"  
"I don't know what to think," Anna admitted as she paced up and down in Carly's bedroom.  
"Well," Carly told her, "About your dream. I'm pretty sure that being chased in a dream means you're running away from a real life issue or issues." That was certainly true. Anna had had so much going on at the moment: the formal, Isaac, the Alpha, Scott. That she just felt she wanted to hide from all her pressing problems.  
There was a moment of silence as Anna worked everything over in her brain when Carly asked gently, "Have you told your mom, yet?"  
Anna shook her head, "No," she replied, "And I don't intend to either. She'd probably make me drink some disgusting herbal tea to ward off evil spirits or something."  
That got Carly giggling, and the noise cheered Anna a little. "How is your history project going?"  
Anna groaned. It was in next Friday and she hadn't even begun her thesis yet. "Not great," she admitted, she'd have too root through that box of crap from the Founders' museum again, "What about you?"  
"Finished." Carly replied proudly, "Me and Danny have written our thesis, typed it up, printed it off and it's ready to hand in."  
Anna cringed, trying to hide under the bed covers as Carly took a great delight in seeing her squirm. Anna was in for another sleepless night-before rush to hand in her paper. At least she wasn't alone, though. She had Isaac.  
Anna grinned at her best friend. "So, who's taking you to the ball, Cinderella?"  
Carly grimaced, "No one, yet. Thank god."  
"What about Boyd? Or Alec?" Anna asked.  
"Boyd's taking Erica," Carly beamed, "And thank god. It only took them forever to hook up. Plus, Alec's just a rich jackass. He was asking about you a couple of days ago you know, and he had the nerve to call me "little girl"."  
"Wow, imagine someone describing you as "little"," Anna teased, "Asking about me?" Anna interrupted again, "Asking things like what?"  
"Well," Carly said thoughtfully, as if having to reach far back into her memory to remember. Knowing Carly, she probably had to. "Asking questions like "Are you sure it was a mountain lion that attacked her?"; "has she been behaving strangely recently?"; "Did you know your dad before he died?""  
Anna was stunned. _Oh my god, _she thought, _Alec knows. _"And what did you say?"  
"I said, yes you were attacked by a mountain lion because what the hell else could do that?" – Carly gestured to her leg. Anna nodded in agreement, even if it wasn't true. I told him you have been acting up a little but not more than usual." – Anna thanked her lucky stars for having such a caring friend – "I also told him that, yes, you did know your dad and we were both very close to him and it was a shock to everyone when he…" Carly didn't finish, she obviously didn't want to hurt Anna's feelings. "And started answering him with my usual flair for witty repartee."  
Anna rolled her eyes, "Translation: you insulted him."  
"Yeah, well, you shouldn't have made him sit with us! Now he does it all the time, even when you're not there!"  
Anna shoved her friend playfully, "I was trying to be nice," Anna mused, "You should try it sometime."  
Carly pushed her off the bed in justification, "I am nice!"  
"I'm sure my bruises agree." Anna giggled which made Carly laugh and roll her eyes at her best friend.  
Of course they ended up having a massive pillow fight after she pulled Carly off the bed with her. By the end of it, they were both exhausted.  
"Are you staying the night?" Carly asked casually. Deputy Hamilton wouldn't mind if Anna stayed, she practically lived here half of her life, or had, up until Scott was bitten. Then she'd become more distant.  
"Sure," Anna shrugged, "I'll have to pick up my stuff for tomorrow."  
Carly groaned, "I forgot it was Monday tomorrow. Remind me why I go to school again?"  
"Because it's the law and you're dad's a cop?" Anna offered.  
Carly nodded. "Yeah," Carly huffed, "That."  
"So…" Anna said, "What do you want to do for the…" she checked her watch, "Three hours of daylight we have left."  
Carly grinned, "I have an idea." Then, she beamed as an idea came to her.  
Anna's eyes narrowed, "We're going shopping!" Carly said, jumping up and down on the spot.  
Anna groaned at the thought, "No, please, have mercy!"  
Carly slapped her playfully, "Oh. Come on!" she said, "You have a hot date, with a hot boy, at the hottest – or coldest – dance of the year. You can't tell me you don't need a new dress."  
"Well…" Anna thought about her decrepit wardrobe full of gothic black skirts and corsets but nothing suitable for the winter formal. "Okay, I need a new dress. But I'm not getting a prissy, preppy dress. We're going to the Dark Zone, for definite."  
Carly groaned. The Dark Zone was one of Beacon Hills only gothic boutiques, and was immensely popular due to the fact it was so much better than its other two rivals. If Isaac wanted to get to know her, Anna would have to show him the real her. Carly didn't like the Dark Zone, even though Anna's cousin Kimmi owned the store. Kimberly Valdez, which was Anna's mom's name before she became a Chambers, was Anna's older cousin. She was now twenty-one and owned a two bedroom apartment on the other side of town. Kimmi's mom had died of cancer when Kimmi was nineteen and she'd decided not to go on to college but to open her own boutique. With a twist. Kimmi sold only Gothic or "Emo" merchandise as confused people sometimes called it. Kimmi was now one of the most successful young women in Beacon Hills and her unique store had won many awards over the years.  
"Ah, well," Carly said finally, "At least Kimmi might give us a discount."  
Anna sighed, "I doubt it. She is a business woman, after all."

* * *

The Dark Zone wasn't exactly hard to miss in Beacon Hills tiny mall. Wedged between a jewelers and a bookshop, it stuck out like a sore thumb in the one-horse California town. It was actually a comfort to Anna that she wasn't the only one who stood out in the small town. There was limited number of Goths and Emos in Beacon Hills, but they were there alright. If you knew where to look.  
Most of the customers knew Anna and Carly by sight, as she was a regular visitor who usually dragged her best friend along with her. On the rare occasion that she saw something nice or pretty, sometimes Carly would buy it but apart from that she usually gave Anna fashion tips and told her which shades of blacks, reds, purples, grey, pinks and other colors suited her well and the ones that didn't.  
"Anna-Banana!" called a voice from behind the counter as the person rushed to meet her. It was Kimmi's girlfriend, Angelica and she looked as flamboyant as ever with bright pink hair and cyber Goth clothes. "And where is my favorite mainstreamer?"  
"Ha-ha." Carly said, deadpan as Angelica swept her into a perfumed hug. Carly coughed a little. "You're crushing me!" she cried after a moment.  
"Good," Angelica giggled, "Maybe I can crush some fashion sense into you."  
Anna and Angelica laughed as Carly rolled her eyes. "So… what can I do for you today, hun?"  
"Anna has a date!" Carly gushed to the formal, "To the formal!"  
Angelica pulled her into another bone crushing hug, "Honey, that's fabulous! Who is it?"  
"Isaac Lahey." Anna finished.  
"I know that kid," Angelica said thoughtfully, "Yeah, tall with ocean blue eyes, blonde-brown hair?" Anna nodded, "Aw. He's so cute."  
Anna felt a pang of jealousy at Angelica's words when she shouldn't have because she didn't swing for that team. "So, what were you looking for? Fun? Hardcore? Casual? Sophisticated?" Angelica questioned.  
Anna thought long and hard before answering. "I just want something I like. Something that will show him the real me."  
Angelica bounced up and down on the spot, "I know just the thing!" Angelica squealed, "Niall!" Angelica yelled, "Watch the counter! I'm showing Anna some dresses!" Niall nodded and gave her and Carly a wave. They smiled back at him before being escorted to the furthest corner of the store.  
"These all came in last week from a fabulous new designer," Angelica gushed, "I just adore them but of course you're free to look around the entire store but I think some of these would suit you _so _well."  
"Thanks…" Anna said, but she wasn't really listening. She was running her hands over the soft fabrics, feeling the gorgeous satins and silks, seeing every intricate design. Her inner child screamed as she found a dress with cats running across the hem but it would just be too weird for the formal.  
Then she spotted it as Carly was leafing through the different clothes and pulling a face. She'd found the perfect dress. She pulled it off the rack. It was a Gothic tutu-like prom dress only longer, snaking down to her knee cap. It was black with pink stripes and silver glitter across the tutu that flared out at the hem. Unlike a tutu, it didn't just morph into a corset but had sleeves to keep her warm.  
Carly stared at it for a long second then she beamed, "Yes. Yes. Yes!" she shrieked, "That is so you! Try it on! TRY IT ON!"  
"OK. OK…" Anna grabbed a pair of fishnet stockings and some cool looking stomper boots before heading into the changing room. It fit perfectly, right down to the crazy skull bracelets she had picked up along the way. She looked at herself in the mirror but she didn't see shy, awkward Anna Chambers staring back. She saw the flamboyant, joyful girl that had been caged down for so long. She saw the Gothic princess in all her menacing beauty.  
Anna took a deep breath and stepped out of the changing room. She was greeted by Angelica, Carly and Niall, who's mouths dropped open when they saw her. "Yes. Yes and Yes! You are buying that dress." Angelica commanded. That gave Anna a warning. She checked the price tags of the items. She couldn't afford it all.  
"I'll have to put something back!" Anna moaned, a little disappointed, "I can't afford it all!"  
"Sure you can," Carly piped, "How much do you need?"  
"About thirty bucks?"  
"Done."  
Anna's mouth dropped to the floor and she stared at her friend in disbelief, "W-what about you?" she stammered.  
"Oh please," Carly sighed, "Like anyone's going to choose me to go to the dance with."  
Angelica hip bumped her as Anna handed over the cash and Carly got her wallet out, "Don't let it get you down kid," Angelica told her wisely, "There could be someone out there right now falling in love with you."  
Carly rolled her eyes. "Yeah, Riiiiiiiiiiight."

* * *

It was the night of the formal and both Anna and her brother were jittery with nerves. "It'll be fine." Her mother kept telling them as she helped Kyle into his tux. Anna couldn't help but laugh, it was at least a size too big for him but at least he was trying. Everyone had gotten over the immediate shock of Anna's adventurous fashion choice and now Anna had resigned herself to the kitchen where she could help Georgina with her drawing. She needed to do something with her hands or she was afraid she might climb the walls with them.  
There was a knock at the doorbell and Anna ran to get but then backpedaled and threw on her bracelets. She pulled the door open a little too quickly.  
She gasped. Isaac stood before her in a stunning charcoal suit with a crimson tie and matching black weather shoes. He was grinning when he saw her. "Wow," he exclaimed, "You look- You look…"  
"I look?" Anna prompted him.  
"Beautiful," he said, "In fact, beautiful doesn't cover it. You're stunning. You look absolutely gorgeous."  
The door opened further, revealing Kyle – who was on the Lacrosse team with Isaac – and Anna's mom. She looked stressed and exhausted. "Pleased to meet you." Elena said after Anna had introduced him, Isaac took her hand in his and shut. "Have a good time kids," Elena dismissed, "And stay away from the punch!"  
Anna laughed as she made her way to Isaac's ride. It was a little Honda civic, but Anna didn't care, even though Isaac kept apologizing. "It's not much," he said, "I'm really sorry."  
As she got in the car, she leaned over the crutch and kissed him. "It doesn't matter Isaac," she told him gently, "As long as I'm here. With you."  
He smiled at her as she held his face close to hers and then started the Honda. The little engine rattled but then kicked into life as they cruised down the streets of Beacon Hills, making their way towards the school. Anna kept her eye out for anything suspicious on the way there. Scott had told Anna that the Alpha had been after his mother and then Alison within a day or so span of each other. She just wanted one night where she could be happy and then she would worry about the Alpha, but there was something within her that sensed the Alpha's intensions and it was nothing good.  
Pulling up to the school, Anna sat with a shaky breath for a moment. No one had ever seen her this Goth before, so it might come as a shock and Anna felt sick just at the thought of so much attention on her. "Hey," Isaac said, taking her clammy hand under his, "It's gunna be okay. This is your night, Anna don't let anyone else ruin it."  
Anna looked at him and nodded, giving a half-hearted smile. Then she got out of the car.

* * *

"Come on, we're dancing." Isaac said, after he downed his second cup of punch, despite her mother's warnings.  
Anna groaned, "No!" she sighed, but let herself be pulled up, "I'm a terrible dancer!"  
"Yeah, well, so am I. We can be terrible together." Anna laughed and started shuffling to the beat of the song. It was insanely awkward but what made her feel better that across the dance floor, her best friend Carly was dancing with Erica and Boyd despite the fact that she'd come alone.  
Isaac was in hysterics by the time the funky pop sing had ended. "Stop laughing!" she cringed, flushing crimson. She slapped him as he almost toppled over with laughter.  
"O-Ok. Okay." He breathed as the slow song kidded in, "You wanna dance? Again?"

* * *

Carly Hamilton was sat on the bleacher feeling sorry for her as couples swayed to the slow song. Coach Finstock had almost kicked Scott out of the dance he'd snuck into, but his fast thinking had saved him and had Carly almost comatose with laughter.  
The formal had been a total success with beautiful dresses and a live band. Everything any girl could have wished for… if they had a date. But Carly hadn't been asked by anyone and instead she sulked away from prying eyes, just a lonely shadow hidden from the music and liveliness. "Hey." Said a voice, coming to sit beside her. She was too worn down to argue. "Are you okay?"  
She looked up into the face of Alec Wild. She rolled her eyes at him, and shuffled away, "I'm fine." She spat harshly, "Just leave me alone."  
"You're crying." Alec said, moving to wipe a tear off her cheek. It was true. She hadn't even noticed but the evidence was clear on her face when she pulled out her compact mirror and stared at herself. Her eyes were red and shiny and her mascara had left messy tracks. She found herself not caring, which was odd because she usually freaked out at even the slightest lipstick smudge.  
"I'm sorry, I insulted you earlier," she offered, after she'd put him down for asking loads of private questions about Anna, "I guess I'm just sarcastic by nature."  
"It's okay," he said softly, "So…. No one asked you, either, huh?"  
Carly stared at him sharply. No one had asked Alec Wild – the millionaire's son! – to the dance? She found that hard to believe, but nodded anyway.  
"So…" he sighed nervously, running a hand through his jagged brown hair. Sitting so close to him, she could see his eyes were not brown, like she'd first suspected but a startling shade of grey. Almost silver. "Do you want to dance? With me?"  
Carly looked around, sure that as soon as she moved to speak, people would start pointing and laughing at her and Alec would turn from sweet to cruel as if he was an actor switching masks. But no one pointed and no one laughed apart from the far off sounds of enjoyment that Carly longed for. "Yes." She said, and allowed herself to be lead onto the floor.

* * *

Anna was swaying to the music, arms wrapped around Isaac's neck. It felt perfect, right. He smiled down at her, and she leaned up to kiss him, when a scream from outside broke her concentration. She and Isaac exchanged a look as they came to join the masses surging out the school.  
"Help me! Help me!" someone was screaming. _Oh god, no. _Anna thought as she pushed past people. She knew that voice. It was Jackson. Had he been hurt? And if not, who? Stiles? Alison? Scott? "Please someone get help!"  
Anna ran up to Jackson, who was holding Lydia's limp form in his arms. Her pretty stain prom dress was drenched in blood and Jackson was shaking badly. Anna's eyes shot with tears. "What happened?" she demanded. After a moment of shock, Jackson found his voice.  
"She was attacked." He cried, and then he mouthed the word _Alpha_ at her and fury panged through her, worse than she'd ever known.  
"We need to get her to the hospital," Anna said immediately, "Give me your keys."  
He stared at her for a moment in disbelief. "You are not driving my Porsche."  
"Stop being so precious!" Anna yelled at him, tears clouding her vision. "She's going to die, if we don't go! Now!" Anna hated the idea, but she would have to leave Isaac and explain everything as best she could later. She'd lost him in the crowd, but Lydia might not survive the extra time delays it took for Anna to explain everything to Isaac.

Begrudgingly, Jackson handed over his keys.


	18. 18: I Must Become A Lionhearted Girl

**This chapter was inspired by -** Rabbit Heart - Florence and the Machine

* * *

Anna was in a state of panic when the Porsche tore into the parking lot. Lydia bled out in the back seats, Jackson with her, begging her to stay with him. Anna was furious, the Alpha needed to be stopped, tonight but she couldn't seem to be able to pick the phone. Her hands too numb to dial the numbers of her friends. What had happened to them anyway, she wondered, where was Stiles? He was supposed to be Lydia's date, right? She refused to believe he'd just leave her there to die with no decent reason.  
Jackson wouldn't leave Lydia's side so Anna wandered shyly into the emergency room. "Help?" she asked timidly to an admitting nurse. That didn't work so she raised her voice above the din of the ER. "HELP!" she yelled, "My friend's been attacked and she's unconscious and bleeding!" that got people running.

* * *

Anna waited anxiously in the emergency room for news on Lydia. She called everyone she could think of, starting with Scott, Stiles and Alison, leaving a message on each phone but not totally explaining what had happened in Alison's just in case her parents had confiscated her phone and they'd be the one to hear the message.  
Anna made a statement to Deputy Hamilton, who looked haggard and overworked, telling him the bare minimum; that she'd seen Lydia was hurt and Jackson was acting drunkenly so she'd offered to drive her to the hospital.  
Jackson came in a moment later and Anna bolted up in her seat to speak with him as he asked, "Where is she?" but Sherriff Stilinski got there first.  
"Hey," he said, taking Jackson's arm, "Hey! What the hell happened to that girl?" the Sherriff growled, jabbing a finger at the immobile Lydia, who lay silently in intensive care.  
"I don't know I went out looking for her-" Jackson began.  
"And, what. What? You just happened to wander into the middle of the field. Don't lie to me, son!"  
Jackson stumbled over his words as Anna took a protective step forward, noticing the anger on the Sherriff's face. Suddenly he grabbed Jackson's suit and slammed him up against the hospital wall. Hard. Many people stared.  
"It's not his fault!" Anna blurted, as she tried to discreetly separate the two without assaulting an officer, "He didn't take Lydia to the formal." Anna ended lamely, knowing that she'd just given everything away. Jackson looked at her gratefully.  
Stiles's dad stared at her for a moment, "Then who did?"  
Jackson sighed. "Do you really wanna know?"  
The Sherriff dropped Jackson and turned to face Anna, "She went with Stiles," Anna admitted, "Stiles took her."

* * *

Stiles came bursting through the elevator an hour or so later. Anna was busy buying a bar of snickers and trying to get in touch with Scott when he suddenly ran to Lydia's window. His father pushed him back before Anna could speak to him; the two seemed to have a heated conversation before the Sherriff grabbed Anna's elbow and the back of Stiles's neck and led them to a quieter part of the hospital.  
"You two should just go wait with your friends," he told them as he released them, "Or go home."  
"Come on, dad, just tell us," Stiles pressed, "I know you know it has something to do with Derek."  
The Sherriff paused and looked at them both seriously, "I thought you said you two barely knew him."  
Anna and Stiles exchanged a look before Stiles said, "Alright, we might know him a little better than that."  
The Sherriff grabbed him around the neck again and Anna by the forearm in an almost painful grip as he dragged them through the ER ward, "You do know I'm elected this job, right?"  
"And if we help you figure this out, you'll be re-elected, right?" Stiles amended, "Dad, come on."  
Anna broke free of his grasp and turned to look at Stiles's and his father, feeling again like she was being the proverbial third wheel. "You know what, that girl in there has got nothing to do with a six year old arson case."  
Stiles rounded on his dad. "When did you decide it was definitely arson?"  
"We got a key witness," – Stiles looked as if he was about to open his mouth but his dad shot him down – "And no, I'm not telling you who it is. But yeah, we know it's arson. And it was probably organized by a young woman."  
"What young woman?"  
"If I knew that, she'd be in jail."  
"Was she young then or is she young now?"  
"She's probably in her late twenties," the Sherriff rooted through his pockets as a phone began to ring loudly, making Anna wince. She felt tired, her face sticky with sweat from panic and exertion. The scratches on her leg throbbed painfully.  
"You don't know her name?" Stiles snarled.  
"What is this, twenty questions?" The Sherriff snapped, "All we know is she had a very distinctive pendant."  
"What the hell's a pendant?" shouted Stiles.  
"A necklace," Anna put in and they both knew what that meant, "A pendant's a necklace." She only knew because she was wearing one of her own, a gift from her father she never took off.  
Her phone buzzed and it was Scott, but it asked for only her to read it. He needed her help, but it would take more than a rabbit-hearted girl in stomper boots to help Scott. Realization flickered across her features as she thought about her mother's shotgun at home, the same gun her brother had taught her to use when she fourteen in case of emergencies. She definitely thought this warranted an emergency.

* * *

She took the bus back home, and despite it being painfully slow, she managed to fly into the house at quarter to midnight. She went straight to the garage, not noticing the house was vacant apart from Georgina upstairs and her babysitter who was slumped asleep on the couch. Anna switched the light of the garage on and went straight to the box of her father's old things. Fighting the urge to break down, she dug right to the bottom of the box and pulled out something heavy and cold. She placed the shotgun down as if it was made of glass and then searched for the bullets. Frustratingly, she couldn't find them.  
"What are you doing?" the voice said quietly, making Anna flinch and spin violently, raising the gun. Her little sister stared back at her, eyes wide with fear as Anna immediately placed it back down.  
"I-I'm sorry-" she stammered, "I didn't think-"  
"You're going to fight the Alpha, aren't you?" Georgina asked, as if it was perfectly normal to be talking about a powerful killer werewolf so casually.  
"I'm sorry," Anna lied terribly, "I- I don't know what you're talking about-"  
"It's okay," Georgina said, gently, rooting through her father's belongings and handing her a silver lined box. In it were eight lethal-looking lead bullets. "I believe you. I just wanna help. Take me with you."  
Anna gapped at her, "How did you?"  
"I like to read." Georgina shrugged, "I ran out of stuff to read so I read your journal."  
"How-?"  
"It's hidden behind that hideous ceramic jack Russell, third shelf, stuffed right at the back behind _Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban." _Georgina beamed at her, "And I promise not to tell mum if you take me with you." Anna hadn't even realized that she'd moved with the gun into the house and was quietly loading the gun and placing the remaining bullets into a beaten jacket she'd snagged off the coat hook. It was as if her body had been on autopilot.  
"Not a chance in hell, kiddo." Anna told her, as Georgina followed her around like a lost puppy, "It's way too dangerous. You have no idea what this world is like."  
"That's why I wanna help," Georgina looked up at her with round brown eyes that seemed to defrost her soul, "Please?"  
Anna narrowed her eyes and glared down at her for a moment. "Fine," she groaned at last but before Georgina could celebrate, Anna laid down the rules, "But you don't intervene and you stay in the car, no matter what happens. You understand?"  
Georgina nodded vehemently, and made her way down the porch steps towards Kyle's car. He was busy at the dance with Simone, and wouldn't miss the Tempo for at least another three hours or so. Georgina climbed into the passenger seat as Anna placed the gun under a blanket in the back, hoping she wasn't stopped by any cops. "If you tell mom," Anna growled as she turned the ignition, "I will kill you and murder your soul, understand?"  
"Yes, ma'am!" Georgina said with a mock navel salute.

* * *

When Anna approached the Hale house, Kate Argent was pointing a gun at Scott, Alison was on the floor, Chris Argent also had a gun and everything seemed to have gone to hell very quickly, "Hey!" she yelled, climbing out of the car and raising the gun, "Anybody tries to hurt my friends and they die!" she didn't know who the threat was aimed at, anyone, probably, who looked as if they might be wanting to do something drastic.  
They glared at her, and Kate's gun seemed to flinch a little as if deciding who the greater threat was. "Put the gun down." Argent growled at his sister, raising the hand gun so it was level at her head. She bit her lip, but the gun did not waver. Argent fired once, twice. Both bullets sailing so close to Kate's face, it seemed as though the years of training were the only reason the bullets had missed. "Before I put you down."  
Hunters emerged behind Argent, three in fact. A tall, skinny kid with a lot of acne. An older man that looked like he'd spend years in the military… _Oh, god, _Anna thought as she recognized the third figure. It was Alec Wild.  
The shotgun shook in her hands with a rattle of metal and all eyes shifted to her. Alec caught her eye briefly but then looked ashamed and his gaze dropped to the ground. "Let Scott go!" Anna demanded, her eyes flashing, "Now!" she advanced on them, holding the gun evenly beneath her fingers as the door to the Hale house crept open.  
"Alison, get back!" Chris yelled, signaling to his daughter to get away from the house. Anna's aim flicked to the opening doorway and she backpedaled, afraid of what was lurking in the shadows. A dark shape flittered from the house and Anna fiddled with her pockets, locking Georgina inside the car just in case the Alpha tried to target her little sister.  
It darted in and out of sight, staying at the edge of Anna's vision and hiding every time her eyes tried to rest on it's figure. It knocked Chris to the ground, sending his gun somewhere into the undergrowth. It smashed into Alison second, pushing the bow out of her hands so it landed with a clatter. Anna began to fire rounds into the air around where the shape moved as it came barreling towards her. It swiped at her ankles, sending a dull ache of pain through her leg as she fell and landing with an "umph" against the forest floor. Her shotgun flew out of her hands and she desperately searched for it in the burnt up vegetation around the house.  
"Come on!" Kate screamed, though her voice was not as confident as before, "Come on!" her arm moved around, but was caught in the grip of Peter Hale. She grunted and fired her gun but it missed as it was twisted out of her grasp. Hale chopped her wrist and it cracked with a scream and the sound of snapping bones as if they were twigs beneath his boots. Peter grabbed her throat and pushed her backwards, so that she flew through the air until gravity took over and she slammed against the porch.  
Kate was dragged backwards into the house as Anna got her feel for the gun in the dismal twilight only to lose it again. If only something could illuminate her way. "No!" Alison yelled, dashing into the house after her aunt.  
The other hunters were getting up now but before Anna managed to grab her gun. They made a move for the house but she pointed it at them. "No," she said firmly. Scott was in there – her friends – she wasn't ready to let them kill the people she cared about after they took care of the Alpha.  
"Get out of the way, Anna," Alec told her gently, putting a hand over the metal of the barrel. "We're trying to help. Let us help."  
For a moment, Anna actually considered letting them pass but then she remembered just who they were and what they had done. "No!" she cried and raised the gun. She didn't have enough time to fire it though. It was ripped from her hands by the stronger boy. The hunters made a move, but Anna wasn't finished. She closed the distance between her and Alec, driving her elbow into his solar plexus as she barreled into his chest, making him gasp for air and tumble to the ground, taking her with him. She was on top and should have had the advantage but she had never hit anything before and she could tell by how Alec never wasted a second he had been fighting his entire life. he did something with his hips and before she knew which way was up, he was one top of her. With her hands pinned above her head and her heels left to scrape uselessly against the floor. She tried to bite his face, but his head jerked back.  
"What happened to you, Anna?" he taunted, "I thought you were so sweet." Anna almost growled at him, "What changed?"  
"I grew up." She spat.  
"You started running with wolves," he retorted, "You should be more selective with your friends."  
He was so wrapped up in mocking her, he hadn't even realized he'd let her hands free. "On the contrary," she beamed, "You should deflate your ego." She grabbed the gun in one lightning fast move and slammed it into the side of his face. He slumped backwards, unconscious, as silver Porsche roared into the scene and the Alpha burst through a broken window.

* * *

The Porsche beeped his horn as Jackson and Stiles ducked out, Stiles throwing some kind of flask at the horrific monster. The Alpha caught it and snarled at him. "Oh, damn." Anna heard him mutter. "Alison!" Scott yelled, flinging her bow towards her. It took her mere seconds to get to bow into operation. She fired.  
The Alpha's arm burst into a great, blinding circle as the intense flames spat and swirled. The Alpha let out a deafening roar of agony that seemed to shake the ground beneath her. She dragged Alec's body out of the way of the Alpha's clumsy path, "Sorry." She whispered in his ear as she slipped him into an alcove of trees, despite the fact he was the one who should have been apologizing to her.  
Jackson looked down at his hand, and tossed an identical flask at the Alpha. More flames erupted into life, joining with the already burning ones, creating a vortex of deadly fire. Anna jumped away from the intolerable circle of light and heat.  
The Alpha stumbled, trying to pry it's way towards Alison but Scott ran at the raging inferno to prevent it from hurting her. He kicked it away and it backpedaled, falling to it's knees as the flames died away and the werewolf transformed back into the burnt body of Peter Hale. By now she could hear muffled screaming coming from the car and realized her sister had seen the entire thing. Guilt twisted her insides.  
Derek stalked from the shadows as Alison kissed Scott. He leered over the body of his dying uncle as Scott broke free of Alison's grasp. "Wait!" Scott exclaimed, sprinting forward, "You said the cure comes from the one who bit you! Derek," Scott sighed, "If you do this, I'm dead. Her father – her family? What am I supposed to do?"  
Everyone waited in tense anticipation for Derek's decision. Anna was almost vibrating with dread. Like she already knew what Derek was going to choose.  
Derek raised a clawed hand high into the air as Scott called out. Anna flinched as he brought it down, racking his claws across the Alpha's throat. Anna felt the power shift deep within her bones. Her marrow was hot and sharp, directly over where the scratches were as Derek looked up, his eyes gleaming with a scarlet tint.  
Derek snarled, "I'm the Alpha now."

* * *

**{{{{{So Derek's the Alpha and the new kids a hunter. Plus, Isaac and the others will soon be werewolves, which will drive a wedge between a once tight group of friends. And what about Carly? She seems very hard done by, what will happen to her? And the inquisitive, Georgina, now that she knows? Look out for the newest updates as Anna faces down a newer and deadlier threat of the Kanima, plus the hunters looming over her and her friends :D}}}}**


	19. Soundtrack 1

_**Tracklist**_

**Here is a comprehensive soundtrack that helped me make the first part of my fanfiction. It includes the songs that inspired the title chapters but also songs that I listened to whilst writing. Enjoy!**

Raised By The Wolves – Falling in Reverse

We Must Be Killers – Mikky Ekko

Love Story – Taylor Swift

Holding On and Letting Go – Ross Copperman

Addicted to Love – Florence and the Machine

Radioactive – Imagine Dragons

Evil is Going On – Jace Everett

Who Are You Really – Mikky Ekko

E.T. – Katy Perry ft. Taio Cruz

Bang, Bang – K'naan ft. Adam Levine (Maroon 5)

Our Song – Taylor Swift

Ain't No Rest For The Wicked – Elephant and the Cage

Youth – Daughter

Voodoo Child – Rogue Traders

Breath of Life – Florence and the Machine

Cosmic Love – Florence and the Machine

Oh Death – Jen Titus

Rabbit Heart – Florence and the Machine

Vampire Will Never Hurt You – My Chemical Romance

Run – Daughter

Hell Bells – AC/DC

Jar of Hearts – Christine Perry

Carry On My Wayward Son – Kansas

Written in the Stars – Tinie Tempah

On Top of the World – Imagine Dragons


	20. 1: Welcome To The New Age

**This Chapter is inspired by – **Radioactive – Imagine Dragons.

* * *

_This is what must be known as the calm after the storm,_ Anna Chambers thought as she sat at the kitchen table. Somewhere in the night, a raucous party would be occurring but Anna would be missing it. It had been a week since Lydia's attack and the death of the Alpha at the hands of Derek. This meant Scott had been robbed of his chance of a cure and now Derek was the new Alpha of Beacon Hills.  
Anna was huddled on the couch with Tybalt and Georgina, who had both fallen asleep sometime before the death of Mufasa. "_Long live the king,"_ Anna mimicked, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOO!" Anna felt no amount of shame at still watching Lion King even if her sister had been asleep for a long time. You were never too old for Disney.  
Anna switched it off as the scene began to become too depressing and bundled Georgina into her arms. She tiptoed up the stairs and shifted her into the bed, which she seemed to fall into with gratitude. Anna smiled and turned off her light, heading back downstairs. Mom was working, as usual, and she didn't know where the hell Kyle was so she mixed herself a sandwich and went back into the living room to put on something more lighthearted like _Stardust_ or _Inkheart._  
Anna's cellphone vibrated away to itself as she entered the room. She put the sandwich down on the sofa, away from Tybalt, and checked the caller ID. It was Stiles.  
"Anna, meet me at the hospital!" he blurted as soon as she answered.  
"What happened? Are you….." Anna began in a panicked voice but Stiles cut her off.  
"It's Lydia. Not time to explain," Stiles breathed in a rush, "Just meet me!"  
Anna went up to her room and prodded Georgina awake, "We have to go to the hospital and I can't leave you here." Anna told her. She nodded and bolted up in bed, suddenly full of energy. "Is it some crazy werewolf thing?" Georgina asked optimistically.  
Anna nodded, "Could be, but I didn't get details," then Anna frowned, "Just come on! We can't waste time!"

* * *

Stiles came trotting towards her car as soon as she pulled up. He climbed in the front, and Scott took the back, he realized Georgina was there. "What is she doing here?" Scott hissed.  
"She was home alone," Anna said curtly, "I couldn't exactly leave her!"  
"It's okay," Georgina beamed, "I know about werewolves. I haven't told anybody, Scott, so don't worry."  
Both boys glared at her. She could feel their eyes drilling holes into the back of her head and she felt suddenly aggrieved, "She read my diary!" Anan justified, "It isn't my fault!"  
"We'll talk about this later," he told Anna and then he turned to Stiles and said, "Don't worry. I won't let anyone hurt her. Not again."  
"What happened?" Anna asked worriedly. Scott and Stiles exchanged a look.  
"Lydia's missing," Stiles finally voiced, "Clothing optional."  
Anna scowled, "You mean she's nude?"  
Stiles nodded and handed Scott what looked like a dressing gown. "Now shove this in your face so we can find her."  
Anna turned the ignition, only to find Alison illuminated in the glow of the headlights. Anna yelped as Alison made her way towards the car. "What are you doing here?" Scott pressed, "Someone's going to see us."  
"I don't care," Alison replied, moving to open the back door. "She's my best friend and we need to find her before they do."  
Scott made Georgina wriggle down so Alison could get in the squashed backseats. "I can find her before the cops can." He said bluntly.  
"How about before my father does?"  
"He knows?" asked Anna worriedly.  
"I just saw him and two other guys leave my house in SUVs," Alison informed them.  
Scott gapped, "Search party?"  
"It's more like a hunting party."  
Anna switched the car from neutral and pulled out of the hospital's parking lot, leaving the jeep unoccupied and alone for once. She skidded off on Lot Street; Scott hanging out her car window and searching the air for a scent of the red-head. "So if she's turning will they kill her?" Stiles asked bluntly.  
"I don't know, they won't tell me anything!" Alison exclaimed, waving her arms in frustration, "All they'll say is we'll talk after Kate's funeral when the "others" get here."  
Stiles's face turned grim. "What others?"  
"They won't tell me that either."  
"Okay, your family's got some serious communication issues to work on," Anna spat through gritted teeth as she remembered Alec standing among the hunters and wanted to pulverize him all over again, "Scott are we going to right way?" Anna asked, knuckles turning white on the steering wheel.  
"Take the next right!" he yelled over the noise from the rushing wind. Anna obeyed, pulling the steering wheel right in an gentle arch.  
"This is so _cool,_" Georgina gushed, "Werewolves. Hunters! I can't believe it."  
"Yeah, well, it's not all rainbows and unicorns, kid." Stiles grinned at her, but it looked slightly fractured on his face.

* * *

Anna had forced Georgina to stay in the car as the scent of Lydia grew stronger towards the Hale house. She had complained and generally kicked up a fuss while the others had waited impatiently behind her. Now, Anna wished she had stayed in the car with Georgina. This place held so many bad memories, from the fire more than six years ago to the recent death of the Alpha terrorizing Beacon Hills. Anna shivered. "She came here?" Stiles pressed, "You're sure?"  
Scott shrugged, "This is where the scent leads."  
Anna frowned; something didn't make sense in her mind. "Has Lydia ever been here?"  
Alison shook her head. "Not with me."  
Anna trod carefully across the undergrowth, looking out for footprints – paw prints – or anything that could lead them to her friend. Beside her, Stiles pushed away vegetation. "Hey, look at this!" Stiles called, motioning to Anna and the rest of the group. "You see this?"  
Anna nodded, confused, "It looks like a trip-wire…"  
Stiles pulled on it, and there was a barely audible clicking sound. Scott grunted behind them, kicking up leaves in his wake. "Stiles?" he groaned, "Yeah, buddy?" Stiles spun, to find Scott hanging from a length of rope. Anna bit back a giggle. "Next time you see a trip-wire, don't trip it."  
Stiles shrugged, "Noted."  
The three of them trotted forward to free Scott from his bounds when he stopped them with violent flailing, "Wait! Wait! Wait!" he hissed in a loud whisper, "Someone's coming!" he glared at them when none of them moved, "Hide!"  
Anna trotted down a steep hill before coming to land in an alcove of trees. She slid down into the dugout and tried to look at Scott, but her view was obscured by bent coniferous trees that refused to let her see what was happening. She huffed, trying to move them out of the way but they were pretty sturdy and wouldn't sway beneath her grasp. She let out a frustrated sigh and tried to crouch a little higher. She finally found a small viewing area and relaxed a little. She practically snarled as she saw Alison's dad make his way towards Scott, Alec in toe. A primordial fury shit through Anna when she saw his smug face curve into a smile. It took all of her self-control to stop herself from flying at him. She'd trusted him, befriended him and he'd tried to kill her friends and had hurt her. She'd saved him from the Alpha that night, but it had left a permanent anger within her at the betrayal.  
"Scott." Mr. Argent chided.  
"Mr. Argent," Scott replied in a light hearted tone.  
"How are you doing?"  
"Good," Scott sighed, "Just… hangin' out," he looked up at the wire. "Is this one of yours? Very good, nice design, very…..constricting."  
"What are you doing out here, Scott?" Argent asked him in a low and menacing voice.  
"Oh yeah, that's right, Lydia's in your group now. Isn't she?" Anna could see that the question wasn't targeted at their new forming friendship group, but a potential situation to get information on Lydia. Anna hissed a little under her breath, "Or your clique? That's another word you use. Or is there another way to put it? Part of your pack?"  
Scott glared at him, "Actually clique sounds about right to me."  
"I hope so," Argent said, "Because Lydia is a friend of Alison's and one special circumstance – like you, I can handle. Not two."  
When Scott stayed silent, Argent asked, "Scott, do you know what a hemicorporectomy is?"  
Scott swung aimlessly in the air. "I have a feeling I don't want to know."  
"It's the medical term for amputating somebody at the waist," Argent warned; and then the branch chose that exact time to snap. She heard gun's click, pointing in her direction but luckily a rabbit dashed out of it's burrow at a similar time and the hunters ceased fire. Anna let go of a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "Cutting them in half. Takes a tremendous amount of strength to cut through tissue and bone. Let's hope a demonstration never becomes necessary."  
The hunters strode away, their figures being swallowed by the ebony expanse of the forest and the trio shot over to Scott. "Are you okay?" Alison asked quietly.  
"Oh you know," Scott replied casually, "Just another life threatening conversation with your dad.  
Scott sliced through the wire just before they could free him manually, "Thanks," he replied, "But I think I got it."  
Anna smirked as Scott gestured to the Hale property, "You coming?" Anna, Stiles and Alison followed him towards the barely safe, blackened ruin.

* * *

"But mom," Anna moaned around a mouth full of toast, "If you bought me a car now, it would be yours when I go away to school in two years. Still practically new," Anna said optimistically. Unfortunately, her mother was no sucker.  
"Anna, just because the state of California believes it's OK for a sixteen-year old to drive…" her mother lectured.  
"Almost seventeen." Anna prompted as she swung her satchel over her shoulder.  
"…Doesn't mean I have to agree."  
Her mother was winning, but Anna hadn't lost yet. "You gave Kyle the Tempo!" Anna reminded her rather loudly.  
"When he was in senior year," her mom counteracted, "And the Tempo is trying to die now anyway. We needed a new car and I don't think you should have your own car until you're at least seventeen."  
Anna only sighed in response, knowing she couldn't win even if her mom was a free spirited liberal. For now she would be stuck with the Tempo, the Jeep, occasionally her mom's car or – if worse came to worse – her rusted over bike that hadn't seen the light of day since she started at high school.  
On the way to school, classic rock records filled the silence. "So, do you wanna tell me what's going on with you recently, or do I have to pretend it's just PMT?"  
Anna stared at him for a long moment, unsure of herself, "What do you mean "going on with me"?"  
"Oh come on, A," he sighed into the steering wheel, "You've been acting out. Failing tests and skipping school. This isn't like you at all. What's going on?"  
"It's nothing." She replied cautiously. Kyle stared at her for a long moment, before breaking concentration and staring back at the road. He didn't speak to her for the rest of the drive but Anna could feel a certain unspoken tension that radiated from him. He knew something was up.  
Anna bent her head once she got near enough the school and slouched towards the front door. She wasn't in much of a mood for pleasantries but when she saw Erica, she made a beeline for the girl. "Erica! Hey, Erica….Erica?" Erica totally blanked her as if Anna was invisible. Ducking under the arm she had out to keep the door propped open. She scowled at the blonde but as she made a move to follow her. A group of babbling freshman took the opportunity to walk past her slowly, as if she worked there. "Thanks, freak." Jackson smirked as he strolled past her. Despite everything she had done to help him, he still had the never to insult her. Perhaps he would never change.  
She wanted to snap back at Jackson, say something clever or witty like Carly would but the words seemed to tangle in her throat. Instead she flipped the doorstop down with her toe for anymore inconsiderate heathens and slunk towards chemistry.

* * *

Anna sat down next to her usual lab partner, June, in chemistry. Her silky blonde hair had a nice smell to it today – not that Anna was purposefully sniffing it – that told Anna she had probably gone a little overboard with either her shampoo or hairspray.  
"This is a pop quiz, Mr. Stilinski," Harris boomed from the front of the classroom, "If I hear your voice again I might be tempted to give you detention for the rest of your high school career."  
Anna bit back a laugh as Stiles stuttered, "Can you do that?"  
"There it is again," Harris enunciated, "Your voice. Triggering the only impulse I've ever had to strike a student repeatedly and violently. I'll see you at three for detention," then he added when Scott turned, "You two, Mr. McCall?"  
Scott span to face him, "No, sir." He said firmly.

* * *

Her next class was English with her favorite teacher, Mr. Johnson. He was the head of the English department and had a love of crazy ties and berets. Anna suspected he must have thousands of ties at home, because it was now an Beacon Hills High tradition for Johnson never to wear the same ties twice unless it was cold weather, and he had an expensive designer scarf to hide it. He usually drove his 1950's Bentley to school, probably just to show off how rich he'd become from teaching. But the fact was, Anna doubted the money was the real reason he taught, even if people called him a wannabe snob. Those people just didn't "get" Johnson, and that's why only his AP classes seemed to love him. Anna had taken two AP classes, History and English, but not anymore. Sure, it would be nice to get into a great university like Harvard or Princeton or Yale but that would mean competing with Carly for grades and that was absolutely off the table.  
"Ah, Miss. Chambers," Mr. Johnson said broadly, "Punctual as usual. I suspect you'll be taking a seat next to your usual cohort but first, I'll give warning. If I hear any over exertion of the human voice from your angle of the room then I shall separate you."  
Anna nodded with a warm smile and plunked herself into the seat beside Carly. "Hey," she sighed as Anna spread her books across the table. Anna could tell by her far away voice that something was off.  
"What is it?" Anna whispered, leaning back slightly in her seat so she could hear her friend.  
"Erica," Carly bit her lip, "It's just….. she's been acting so weird recently. Really distant, no talking much-"  
"Yeah," Anna agreed, "I saw her today outside of school and she walked past me as if I wasn't even there."  
Carly rolled her shoulders. "I just hope she's okay."  
Mr. Johnson shuffled papers on his desk and erected himself. "Now students: another warning. In preparation for your SATs you should be expecting a lot of pop quizzes floating around as I'm sure you have found in other classes. But AP classes in particular will also have stricter homework this year, so I expect you all to produce a book review at least every week and expect the questions to prompt your keen minds."  
The class groaned. Only Johnson would set a reading task of an entire book in one week. Even Anna doubted she could do it, and she loved reading.  
After Johnson handed out schedules, he called Anna up to his front desk. She stood awkwardly for a moment but then Johnson told the class to speak freely amongst themselves so he could talk to her properly, "I see that your academic record has taken somewhat of a plummet this year, Anna," he said with an earnest face, "Far more detentions that last year and three retests. Twice for the same subject. Is there anything going on? At home or maybe with a friend?"  
Anna felt crappy lying to Johnson, but it was a better alternative than the stunning truth. That a week or so ago she had fought an Alpha werewolf who had been responsible for the frequent and violent murders in Beacon Hills – to the death; that her best friend had been bitten by said werewolf and caused a chain of events that had affected her life dramatically including Derek becoming the new Alpha, which still worried her. "No," Anna lied, "I've just had a tough time with the extra work load and the Track team. The animal attack put me out pretty bad," what Anna failed to mention was that she'd actually been attacked by the Alpha and despite it's demise, she would still wake up with a burning pain down her leg after an horrendous dream. She'd looked it up and the best thing she had interrupted was that she had been somehow marked by the Alpha, connected to the rest of the Pack without becoming a werewolf and that the power shift meant she was now loyal to Derek. Even the thought turned her blood vessels to frozen shafts.  
"Very well, Miss Chambers," Johnson drawled seriously over his huge spectacles, "But I expect you to have the highest grades in my AP class and Advanced Placement History with Miss. Rogers or I will speak to Miss. Remington about your future on the cross-country team."  
Anna nodded firmly and moved back to her seat, her mind imploding all the way, worrying herself about how she would fit helping Scott around getting straight As.


	21. 2: Where My Demons Hide

**This Chapter was inspired by – **Demons – Imagine Dragons

* * *

Anna was up far too bright and early that morning for sane people so she decided to go and check out the Lacrosse team. As well as an opportunity to gawk at smoldering hot boys, it was also a chance to relax with a piece of normality so she could settle back into her cushy life, even if things wouldn't exactly be the same as before. It also gave her an opportunity to attempt her math's homework during the boring bits. She brought the sheet out of her satchel and stared down at the obscure numbers and letters that made no sense to her brain. Sighing, she placed it to one side and glanced out across the lacrosse field in time to see Scott smash into another player.  
She winced a little at the impact, which she could almost feel from where she was standing, and flailed her arms at him questioningly when he caught her eye on the way back to goal.  
Scott didn't seem to respond. She watched as he leaped from the goal again and steam-rolled into another kid – Stan or Matt? – flipping him backwards through the air. She almost cringed when Scott appeared to sniff him. What was he doing?  
"McCall!" Coach Finstock yelled over the din of conversation, "The position is goal keeper not goal abandoner."  
Coach blew his whistle and launched the ball at some other kid who took the brunt of Scott's attack. Anna hid her mortified face behind her scarf. Danny sprinted forward and Anna could only stare on in abject horror as Scott collided with him in midair, sending them both dropping like rocks to the dirt. "McCall!" Coach Finstock screamed, "If you come out of that goal one more time, you'll be doing suicide runs till you die. It will be the first ever suicide runs that actually ends in a suicide."  
Jackson seemed to mutter some kind of an excuse not to play and came to sit on the bench in front of her. "What is Scott doing?" he hissed but Anna could only shrug helplessly.  
Then it was Isaac's turn. Only something was off. Anna could notice it, even from where she sat about ten feet away, something just felt so wrong. His body language was aggressive instead of his usual chilled appearance. It was enough to make Anna sit up and take notice.  
They ran forward in almost a blur of speed and collided with each other. It was different from all the other times in which people had swayed under Scott's strength. Both boys seemed evenly matched. She held her breath, realization clouding her mind and suddenly she was furious, her hands balling into fists as they stared at one another. Only breaking concentration when the Coach's shrill whistle interrupted them all.

* * *

"His father's dead," Scott said to Anna and Stiles as the entire lacrosse team gawped at him. There it was again, the flash of anger she had felt earlier but she wasn't sure why. She knew one thing, though; she wanted to murder Derek, "They think he was murdered."  
"Are they saying he's a suspect?" Stiles asked cautiously.  
"No," Anna said firmly, her words strangling on the tightness of emotion in her throat, "It wasn't him. I refuse to believe he had anything to do with this."  
"Anna, we have to think realistically here-" Scott began gently.  
"No!" Anna screamed. Her voice broke. "I _know _Isaac! He wouldn't do this!" she was aware she was becoming hysterical but couldn't seem to stop. She gritted her teeth before continuing and in a low, even voice she replied, "Why would he kill his own father?"  
"I don't know," Scott admitted truthfully, "But I was a lot more murderous before I got control of it."  
"Guys!" Stiles vented, "Stop arguing! Now, did they say he was a suspect or not?"  
"I'm not sure," Scott replied, "Why?"  
Stiles sighed, "Because they can lock him in a holding cell for 24 hours."  
Anna gasped, "Overnight!" she exclaimed.  
"During the full moon." Stiles completed.  
There was a moment of tense silence as they looked at each other, taking in all the information. "I heard the holding cells are good at holding people-?" Scott offered lamely.  
Stiles fiddled with his lacrosse gear, "People: good. Werewolves: probably not as great."  
Anna shrugged helplessly, "Maybe it's not that bad…"  
"You know how I don't have the urge to maim and kill," he said, looking at both of them. Anna and Stiles nodded in synchronization, "He does."  
Anna collapsed onto the sub bench. "Yep," she finally cried, holding her head in her hands and fighting back all the mixed emotions that swirled inside her. "It's bad."

* * *

Anna looked up just in time to see a wad of paper lobbed at the back of Harris's head she giggled and turned to see who had done it. "Who in the hell did that?" Harris snapped as Scott and Stiles pointed at each other and Stiles yelled, "It was Anna, sir! All Anna!"  
Anna glared at him with a "what the hell" look on her face as Scott chirped, "Yeah, totally, everyone saw her do it."  
"All three of you," Harris chastised, waggling his finger at the trio as Anna flailed desperately in her seat, "The Principal's office. Now."  
Once Anna was outside of Chemistry, she slapped them both, "What the hell, guys?"  
Stiles rubbed his shoulder. "Hey, I'm only trying to save your jackass boyfriend-"  
Anna flushed crimson, "He is not my boyfriend," she snapped, "Nor a jackass. And why did you even do that? My mom is going to kill me."  
"Well, Isaac's gunna kill everyone at the police station if we hadn't of done that." Scott said grimly and even though she knew he was right, she couldn't help jumping to Isaac's defense.  
"He might not hurt anyone-" Anna began but Stiles and Scott gave her an incredulous look. Anna fell silent again. "So… what's the plan-?"  
"Right now, it's to see what Jackson's talking about to my dad," Stiles replied. Anna teeth ground, "_Jackson?" _she spat the words as if they would turn her taste buds sour if she kept his name in her mouth. Stiles nodded in conformation.  
Outside the principal's office, Anna's poor hearing could pick up nothing and Scott refused to tell her anything. At first, she thought Jackson didn't have anything good enough to repeat but he wouldn't look her in the eye, as if he thought whatever Jackson was saying would devastate her. Stiles made a grab for a magazine when his dad exited the room. Mr. Stilinski rolled his eyes at his son, "Hi, Scott," he enunciated, tilting his head towards Anna in greeting, "Anna."  
Anna smiled back in greeting and Scott gave him an awkward little wave but Stiles only kept the magazine covering his face, as if it would help him disappear from the world. He only removed it when his father had left.  
"Gentlemen," a voice coughed, Anna's head spanned towards it, "And Lady. Come on in."

* * *

"Scott – uh – McCall," the principal said, Scott seemed a little stressed but Anna didn't know why, "Academically not the most accomplished but I see you have become quite the star athlete."  
The principal turned to Stiles, "Mr. Stilinski…." He drawled, "Perfect grades but little to no extra-circulars."  
Finally, he looked at Anna. "Anna Chambers, I believe?" Anna nodded, "One of the founding families?" she nodded again, more shyly this time, "Wow," he glanced down at her record, "Two AP classes, straight As apart from Calculus, Track team _and _Drama club and next to no detentions," said the principal. He was obviously very impressed; to Anna it was no big deal. "You're quite the model student, Anna, it makes me wonder…. Wait a moment," he said, stopping suddenly in his dialogue, "McCall? You're the Scott that was dating my granddaughter." _Busted,_ Anna thought with a smirk.  
"We were dating," Scott began in a rush of vocabulary, "But not anymore. Not dating. Not seeing any of each other. Not doing anything with each other." Now Anna understood Scott's wariness. The Principal was an Argent, someone who had earned the right to be feared by werewolves and their friends alike.  
"Relax, Scott," Argent told him slowly, "You look like you're about to crack a cyanide pill with your teeth."  
Scott looked helpless, "Just a hard breakup."  
"Ah, that's too bad, you seem like a pretty nice kid to me." Argent smiled sweetly, "Now, listen guys, I am the principal but I don't want you to think of me as the enemy."  
Anna bit back a laugh as Stiles scoffed, "Is that so?" he drawled sarcastically.  
Argent coughed, "But, on my first day I do need to support my teachers so unfortunately someone is going to have to take the fall and stay behind for detention."  
Everyone's heads turned to stare at Stiles. He was fidgeting in his seat but as he looked up realization hit him. He sighed and slumped in his seat, admitting defeat.

* * *

Carly was walking along the hallways from home econ. when she saw Erica. She waved to her, but Erica didn't stop, instead she sped up a step or two. "Erica?" Carly called once she'd finally caught up with her friend, "Erica, what's wrong?"  
Erica's head was bent and she was slouched forward, blocking Carly off. Carly grabbed her shoulders, forcing the girl to look at her, "It's nothing," Erica mumbled and tried to leave but Carly's notorious iron grip kicked in.  
"Obviously something's wrong," Carly whispered, large brown eyes growing wide with fear, "What is it? Is it Jackson? Are they bullying you again? I swear, I'm going to-"  
"It's not him, okay?" Erica snapped, brushing blonde curly hair off her face, "It's you. You and Anna. I'm sick of seeing you both hanging around with Lydia and her clique. After everything they've done to us!"  
Carly was shocked, her mouth dropped open, "Erica, I- I'm not…. I'm nit Lydia's friend. Anna, she- she…" Carly trailed off hopelessly.  
"Exactly," Erica spat, "You're friends with her now, or at least Anna is. Even after everything they did to me in junior school? Do you remember? The spaz-stick freak? The YouTube video got over a thousand views…" Carly only stared at her in disbelief, "That's why we can't be friends! I'm better off alone." Then Erica tore Carly's hand from her shoulder and stalked away leaving her friend to stand in the hallway, tears brimming in her eyes.

* * *

Anna threw herself down the flight of stairs with Scott, her huge boots sounding like gunshots across the bleachers. If only they could reach the Sherriff before Isaac was taking away, convince him that Isaac had an alibi; even lie if they had to. Anna was so full of anger and panic she almost fell down the school steps when she got to them. Scott caught her arm and steadied her. Anna smiled in appreciation. They got there just in time to see him leaving in the back of a squad car. He stared right at her, then looked away as if ashamed. Anna and Scott exchanged a look before admitting defeat and turning back towards school. Just before they pulled the door open an ebony Camaro skidded up to the side of the steps. Anna stared down through gritted teeth, her temper flaring, at the driver. "Get in. Both of you." He demanded but Anna was already shaking her head.  
"Are you serious?" Scott asked in disbelief, "You did that, that's your fault." Scott finished, pointing to where the police cruiser had been almost moments before.  
Derek rolled his shoulders, "I know that," Derek growled, "Now get in the car, and help me."  
"I've got a better idea," Anna spat, "I'm gunna call a lawyer, because a lawyer might actually have a chance of getting him out before the moon goes up." She was advancing towards the car and hadn't even realized. Scott held her forearm to stop her from doing something stupid like reaching through the car window and clawing his eyes out, "Why did you do that to him? Why?" she demanded, there was a sharp edge in her voice now, like she would do anything to make him pay, regardless the consequences.  
"It's what he wanted, to stop his dad….. and to protect you," Derek said sharply. That's what Anna had been afraid of but Derek could have – should have – said no. And to protect her? She had been going through all of this a heck of a lot longer than Isaac had.  
"What do you mean to stop his dad?" Anna questioned, "Stop his dad from what?"  
Derek sighed, "Look, whatever Jackson told the cops," he huffed at them, "… what's in the house is worse."  
Scott raised his eyebrows as Anna lost her nerve a little. What was Derek talking about? "A lot worse."

* * *

Anna walked through the house with Scott as her guide, the torch light from his flashlight illuminating their way in the desolate house. It looked like an regular home except now it was dark, it had a certain menace to it she hadn't noticed before each day Kyle had drove past of the house on the way to school. She shivered even though the air was still and fairly warm. "If Isaac didn't kill his father, who did?"  
Derek shrugged, "I don't know yet."  
"Well, how do you know he's telling the truth?" Scott prompted as Anna eyes flittered over the surrounding area. Her eyes never lingered too long on one place. It all felt very impersonal, being in someone else's house while they weren't there. She didn't like the feeling.  
"Because I trust my senses," he replied calmly, as they reached the narrow hall, "And it's a combination of them. Not just your sense of smell."  
They paused for a moment and Anna smirked, "You saw?" she asked.  
"Yeah." Derek replied deadpan.  
"Did it look that bad?" Scott asked half-heartedly. Derek put a hand on his shoulder and guided him through the rest of the house as Anna lagged behind.  
"Yeah."

They reached a small door hidden towards the back of the house. Apart from its peeling paint and the smell of dried lemon polish, it didn't look at all where you'd hide something horrible. But you know what they say about books and covers. "You wanna learn," Derek asked, "Start now. You," he motioned to Anna, "Try to be as quite as possible but don't go overboard. Scott's got to learn to block out unwanted smells and sounds."  
Anna nodded and stealthily trod down the stairs. "What's down there?" Scott asked but no reply came.  
"And what am I looking for?" Scott said quietly.  
"Follow your senses." Came the barely audible reply.  
Anna froze at the bottom of the stairs. "What happened down here?" Scott asked suddenly.  
"The kind of thing that leaves an impression." Scott pieced his way through the basement, stopping in several places to stare at things for a long time. Anna felt awfully cold now, as if it was an invisible force trying to push her away from something she didn't want to see. Then he moved towards the freezer and Anna broke her silence. "What is it?" Anna whispered but Scott hushed her as she came to join him. His fingers lingered on a lock that hung open. The flashlight flickered on making them both flinch. "Open it." Derek commanded. He propped the lid open and saw the horror inside. It was a desolate thing, that looked like it hadn't been used properly for a long time but covering all the walls were human scratch marks some small and insignificant others deep and ingrained in the walls with blood. Anna gasped and backpedaled as realization hit her right in the chest. She'd always suspected something was happening but never anything as bad as this.  
Scott gave her a look as she vibrated. Derek didn't seem too concerned. "Look away, Anna." Scott said but it was too late. She was fixated. It brought back painful memories of her own. Tears tipped over the edge of her eyelids and splashed down onto her t-shirt.

_Her mother lay there, broken and bloody, swimming in her own vomit. Anna's stepfather looked pleased with himself, smug – almost happy. Georgina was screaming, being dragged away by Kyle who cursed loudly but Paul was too drunk to care. Anna had to do something, put a stop to this._

_She shoved him backwards and he snarled at her, glazed over eyes gleaming with delight. Then he punched her, square in the face. Anna felt a multicolored dull sting from the sensitive part on her nose his fist had connected with her face. She doubled over and shut her eyes, feeling something sticky and wet on her lips. Her nose was bleeding.  
Paul shoved Anna to the ground and she kicked out in retaliation but he yanked her legs, and hit her again on the cheek sending yellow stars shooting through her vision. "No!" she cried as he brought his foot into her pelvis. She screamed until her lungs gave out.  
Then, it was over, Mom was up and brandishing a knife. "GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER!" she yelled and pushed the knife forward. He caught it effortlessly. And pulled Anna up to her knees.  
"One move," he chuckled, "And she'd dead." She felt the knife dragged across her collarbone, only momentarily but she cried out anyway.  
Her mother was literally black and blue. There was no patch of skin not covered by some kind of discoloration. She knew what she had to do.  
Anna bit down on his arm, hard. He dropped the knife with an obscenity and Anna wasted no time._

_She stabbed him._

_He made a pathetic mewling sound, and she had the choice to turn back, to take the knife out and call the cops but she didn't. She thrust the knife in deeper and let go of the handle. She felt sick. Her knees went weak and she vomited. She'd killed someone. Her mother screamed. _

Anna turned her back on Derek and Scott and tried to breathe through her tears but it was several minutes before she decided they wouldn't start up again. "This is why he said yes to you." Scott breathed finally.  
Derek nodded, "Everyone wants power."  
"If we help you…" Anna said suddenly, making them both spin to face her, "You have to stop."  
"You can't just go around turning people into werewolves!" Scott agreed.  
"I can if they're willing!" Derek justified.  
"Did you tell Isaac about the Argents? About being hunted?" Scott asked.  
"Yes," Derek replied, "And he still asked."  
"Then he's an idiot!" Scott snapped.  
Derek shrugged, "And you're the idiot dating Argent's daughter!" Scott looked shocked, "Yeah, I know you're little secret. And if I know, how long do you think it'll take for them to find out? You saw what happens to an omega," Derek put an arm on Scott's shoulder, "With me you learn to use all of your senses. With me you learn control."  
Anna put a hand on his elbow, a slight but supportive touch, "Whatever you choose, Scott," she whispered, "I'll respect that but look at what he's done! Look at everything him and his family have done."  
Derek growled at her and his eyes pulsed red but she wasn't even concerned, she was too furious to care. Scott raised his hand and saw that claws had begun to sprout. She back up a step as Derek smiled without bragging, "Even in a full moon."  
Scott ripped out of Derek's grasp, "If I'm with you, I lose her."  
"You're gunna lose her anyway," Derek said, tapping on the freezer, "You know that."  
"Wait!" Scott called as Derek turned to go, "I'm not part of your Pack… but I want him out. He's my responsibility too."  
"Why?" Derek asked, "Because his one of us?"  
Scott glared at him, "Because he's innocent," Scott snarled, "And because he's Anna's friend and Anna's my friend." Scott gave her a reassuring look. "We'll get him out," Scott told her, "I promise." Anna blushed a little as Derek rolled his eyes and then she said, "Drop me off at home first," she instructed Derek, "There's something I need." She thought about the gun but dismissed that idea right away. Her old hockey stick would have to do.

* * *

**Shipping Names:**

Isaac and Anna (my ship) – Isanna  
Stiles and Anna – Stinna  
Carly and Alec – Carlec  
Anymore you can think of? REVIEW!


	22. 3: As If You Have A Choice

**This Chapter was inspired by – **Run - Snow Patrol

* * *

Anna sped through town, the Tempo careering through the twilight streets as she raced towards the police station. She couldn't have brought the hockey stick, she decided. It was far too bulky to take to the police station. Instead she had grabbed pepper spray and an old rape alarm she suspected didn't work.  
She pulled up to the station and launched herself up the front steps. Coming through the door she was a little out of breath, "Can I speak to Deputy Hamilton, please?" the woman behind the counter glared at her but obeyed and paged Carly's dad. She waited a moment and was then led into a small office that was locked behind her.  
Before Deputy Hamilton couldn't even greet her before she blurted out, "Mr. Hamilton. You have to help me. I think someone is trying to kill Isaac."  
He frowned at her and crossed his arms, "Who told you this, Anna?" he pressed gently.  
"It- Look, someone is going to try to hurt Isaac. Maybe even kill him. We need to do something, now!" she was talking in a fast spurt of information and Deputy Hamilton put a hand on her shoulder. "Just, try to calm down, Anna. Tell me slowly."  
"I think a cop – or someone dressed as a cop – is trying to hurt Isaac. Please, we've got to stop them." Anna said as she fiddled with her satchel.  
There was a moments silence before Deputy Hamilton said calmly, "It's okay. We'll do the right thing." Anna sighed in relief.

Then he handcuffed her.

She looked down slowly, and he gave her a knowing look. "No," she uttered, and then she screamed, "No!" she ran for the door but it was sealed shut and even though she threw herself against it, she couldn't get out. He moved in a curve around her, forcing her away from the door. "Why?" she muttered, "Where's Isaac? What are you going to do with him?"  
"Why do you care?" he hissed harshly, "You know what he is, what they are. What they do. They're murderers, Anna. There is no divide or difference. Just killers."  
Anna gasped, "You're one of them," she mumbled, "A hunter?"  
Deputy Hamilton nodded but seemed almost ashamed of it, although he held no degree of pity for Isaac. "Carly, too?" Anna whispered.  
"No," Deputy Hamilton, "Never. I won't let her." Anna sighed in relief but she had bigger problems to worry about.  
"Please," Anna rationalized, "I know why you hate them but you've got it all wrong. They're not all the same-" Hamilton was losing interest, so Anna switched tactics, "Look, if Isaac's turning… every here will die!"  
Hamilton nodded, deep in thought then he unlocked the door. "You might not believe me, Anna," he said swiftly, "But it's for the greater good." He opened the door and leaped out as Anna rushed for it, bound hands slamming against the wood just as the door shut. She heard the key turn in the lock and screamed in frustration.

* * *

Anna paced the office in frustration, fearful of the unknown beyond the office, of the events that were probably unfurling as she fretted away in her little locked box. Then an idea hit her square in the face. She wandered over to the windows. She had heard once that some of the windows in Beacon Hills police station weren't shatterproof such as those used for talking and routine statements. It was time to test that theory.  
She picked up a plush office chair and raised it high above her head. Then she threw it against the window. It slammed into it, sending shards of glass cascading across the floor. She could worry about the damage later but for now she needed to get to Isaac. Outside of the smashed window the full moon shone in all it's epic glory. Unfortunately for Anna, she couldn't appreciate it's beauty at that moment, not when it brought so much destruction as well.

* * *

Anna got out just in time to see Stiles being dragged around a corner. She wanted to call out, but that would alert the entire station of her presence and probably result in more deaths if they didn't get to Isaac in time. Stiles somehow managed to pull the fire alarm as she charged into the room after them.  
"No!" she cried but she had nothing to fear. The cell was completely vacant, the door swinging loosely from being ripped off it's hinges, the sheets of the bed crumpled on the floor in an unorganized mess of frustration.  
Out of nowhere, someone slammed into the deputy, his bulky body thrown onto the desk. She knew who it was without even thinking and she was now very, very afraid. Stiles grabbed her arm and pulled her towards a corner, scuttling behind a desk for protection, as if it was somehow werewolf-proof. The Deputy brought his arm up to slash Isaac with the deadly wolfsbane but he got there first, his new strength crushing the man's arm until the deputy was forced to drop his hypodermic needle.  
Isaac pulled back on the man's head and hit it firmly against the brick wall behind him as Anna cried out. The man groaned them slumped against the far wall, unmoving.  
There was a shrill breaking sound and Anna turned to see Derek step on the needle, it's deadly contents spilling out across the ceramic tiles of the police station.

Then Isaac turned to them.

Anna held her breath, moving into a squat position, ready to sprint away but as his body angled towards them, Derek let out a magnificent roar that made Anna double over. She winced in pain as her leg ached painfully and when Isaac turned to face them again, he was no longer a werewolf but seemed no larger than a scared little boy. She longed to be with him, to reassure him. But she knew she couldn't. She was still angry and she didn't want to show she accepted what he had chosen, at least, not yet.  
"Anna…" he said quietly, getting to his feet. She didn't met his eye, "Anna?" he moved to touch her but she flinched away and he looked offended and then ashamed, "Anna, please-"  
"Just…" she began, unable to look at him. What had he done? She could understand Scott – it hadn't been his choice – but Isaac had made a choice. And she couldn't help but hate it. "Go- Please, just go!"  
The alarm was still ringing loudly in her ears so that eventually they popped, "How did you do that?" Stiles practically shouted.  
"I'm the Alpha." Derek said in response. Then he caught Isaac around the shoulders and led him out of the station leaving Anna full of so much rage she thought she might explode.

* * *

She got through the door at around eleven. She was exhausted, her joints ached, she felt as though she could feel the tiredness right down to the bone. Her skin was clammy and she had to take a shower to stop herself from feeling like crap on the outside although she could do nothing to quell her internal restlessness.  
She curled up in bed after applying some brand new pajamas and failed to sleep. She was just so disturbed by everything. The animals outside her window chattering away in the bracken, her mother's peaceful snoring, the dinning blur of Kyle's music….  
_Wait, _Anna thought after a moment, _I shouldn't be able to hear all that. I'm such a freak. _She shrugged; blaming the full moon and her scratch for her heightened sense of hearing. She pushed her feet into slippers and padded down the stairs. She could sleep no longer.  
Anna opened the door quietly and went out into the pleasant night, staring up at the captivating moon. Now, she could appreciate it's omnipotent beauty – without having to worry about saving people.  
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" she turned abruptly at the voice to see Derek Hale standing on her porch. She didn't react to him, and a familiar sense of anger filled her.  
"What do you want?" she snapped. He raised his eyebrows at her and she bit her tongue to keep herself from saying anything she would regret.  
"It's fine," Derek told her, leaning against the railing, "Tell me that you hate me. You want me dead, but I'm not the bad guy here."  
"Of course you're the bad guy," Anna said bitterly, "You always are."  
He shrugged, "Maybe sometimes," he offered, "But not always," He went to sit in her little swinging chair hammock but she refused to sit with him, "I'm trying to help Scott…but for that, I need a pack." He looked up at her, directly in the eye but it took her a while to get it.  
Anna froze. "You want me as part of your pack?" he didn't respond verbally but he didn't have to. She could see the response gleaming in his oceanic eyes. "Why?"  
There was a long pause before he answered, "Because, I need people I can trust. That's what a pack is built on: trust for your packmate. Without it…. Everything falls apart."  
Anna thought about it. Yes, it was tempting. Very tempting, in fact – all the power and confidence she would have, but she had seen what the bite had done to others. She took a step closer. "I- I'm sorry. I can't. I can't – don't – want to be one of your pack."  
He nodded and rose from the hammock. It groaned a sigh of relief as his heavy weight was lifted off it, "Just remember, Anna," he told her quietly, "The offer is always there. If you ever change your mind…"  
She shook her head, not being able to form words. She tried to say something but didn't know what to say. In a small way – she wanted to be human, just so somebody still was but in another, bigger way, she had always liked the idea of being in some sort of pack, being part of something bigger than herself.  
She watched as Derek stalked away into the night. Had he really meant it when he'd said he trusted her or was the entire conversation a rouse just to build his power.  
In her room, Anna thought long and hard about this until eventually she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

The next morning started as ordinary as any other. She got up and fell into the usual routine of breakfast, going to school, running Track but she also had to do phys. Ed. Her most hated subject. She didn't mind Track because that focused on a singular set of skills whereas PE tunneled in on all the other non-existent ones like climbing for example.  
She watched as Scott teetered just above the crash mat before dropping to the ground. The class giggled around them as the coach announced that Stiles and Erica would be tackling the wall. Carly and Anna exchanged a nervous look but kept quiet as Erica strapped on her safety harness. Anna had promised not to intervene with Erica's life after she'd openly declared independence from her two best friends but it didn't mean Anna wasn't concerned.  
Erica grunted in exertion as she tackled the steep climbing frame, Stiles who had an endless supply of energy, racing ahead of her. Carly was wrung her hands over her sweats. Erica began to gasp as Stiles hit the floor, making desperate whimpering noises in the back of her throat. "Erica!" the coach called. "Are you dizzy? Is it vertigo?"  
"Vertigo is an asymmetric dysfunction of the vestibular system in the inner ear. She's just freaking out," Lydia informed them, Anna only standing the last part of what she'd just said.  
The Coach shrugged, "Erica!"  
There was a long pause, "I'm fine!" she called in a shaky voice.  
"Coach, maybe it's not safe," Carly prompted, looking terrified, "She's epileptic."  
"Why doesn't anybody tell me this stuff?" Coach mumbled before shouting, "Erica, you're fine. Just – Just kick off from the wall. There's a mat to catch you."  
Erica finally nodded before letting her fingers slip off the wall until she gently lowered to the ground. The coach talked to her for a moment before she left. Carly went to her but Erica gave her the cold shoulder, shrugging off a caring touch. Anna shook her head and did up her shoe laces. She thought about Isaac and how he would be with Derek right now, training. He was a fugitive, running from the law now and she had been asked a string of questions when the police had found her there. Who locked you in the room? Why was the man trying to kill Isaac? How did you break the window when it was shatterproof….  
The last question had freaked her out the most. She hadn't realized that a normal person wouldn't have been able to break it which meant something really was happening to her.

* * *

Anna left the girl's changing rooms just in time to see Scott burst into the gym. She knew something bad had happened she could feel it in her bones. She dashed into the gym after him to watch him catch Erica. "Get her into the recovery position!" Anna began shouting instructions at Scott telling him to bend her arm and angle her head so that she didn't choke on her tongue. Carly came in a second later and started yelling at everyone who had stopped to gawk or tried to take out their cellphones. She even stepped on someone's Samsung Galaxy.  
An ambulance crew came several minutes later and took Erica to the hospital. Anna was beside herself with worry. "It's my fault. It's all my fault!" she cried, "I shouldn't have let her go off on her own!"  
Anna swept her caring friend into a hug, "It's okay," Anna reassured her, "It's not your fault. It's no one's fault, C-lee." But Anna didn't know to what extent that was true because at that moment she felt pretty damn responsible.

* * *

"I got them." Stiles said at lunch, slapping a set of keys down onto the table top. Anna was in the midst of her sandwich and had to swallow to answer. "Got what?" Anna yawned.  
"Me, Scott, Alison and Lydia are going to the ice rink after school." Stiles informed her.  
"Cool." She said genuinely before staring at Scott who looked shell-shocked. "What?"

Then she turned.

Erica was walking towards them, but it was no Erica she knew. It was not the Erica Reyes who wore conservative clothes and always had her head bent or her shoulders hunched, no. This was sexy, confident Erica with a huge amount of cleavage showing, an incredibly tight skirt with plenty of leg on display. She should have been happy but all she felt was angry again. Angry and depressed, that Derek had managed to turn another one of her friends and she'd not been able to stop him.  
"What, the holy hell, is that?" Lydia spat maliciously. About Anna didn't wait to hear either boy's reply. She was already getting up from the table, spurred on by pure fury as she followed her best friend.  
Anna jogged out of canteen and down another flight of stairs until she reached the exit of the school. Erica looked right at her, similar to the way Isaac had when he'd left in the cop car, but without any degree of shame. In fact, she looked smug and proud of herself. She smiled before ducking into the Camaro.

* * *

Isaac looked down at the team of hunters combing through the undergrowth looking for him. He was perched on the edge of a steep entwining cliff face, that if he so much as lost his footing, he would plummet fifty feet to his death. He let out a smug growl. They could see them but they wouldn't be able to find him, not at this distance.  
But, he couldn't do anything – not now when his Alpha needed him. He had a new packmate now, a friend from his human life, Erica. They just needed one more new recruit and they would be a pack.  
Derek had many people in mind, of course. Anna was one of them but Isaac was glad she'd said no. He'd had feelings for in his human life and now he was a lycanthrope, those feelings had been amplified but which way was hard to tell. Everything about her made him aroused. From her perfect hourglass shape, sensual body, intoxicating scent to her caring personality and fiery attitude. On the other hand, she, Scott and Stiles had been a big threat to Derek in the past and she still considered Derek the enemy.  
"Stand down." Derek snarled as he surveyed the hunters. He hadn't even realized his nails had extended into claws. It must have been subconscious, because it had happened when the Wild kid had come into view, the boy who had tried to hurt Anna.  
That was one good thing about being linked to a pack, you got told a lot about each other, including memories. But he wasn't about to attack Alec, even though he wanted to. Anna was one girl, just a pretty face in a flood of them drowning Beacon Hills. She had nothing special about her, aside from knowing about werewolves.  
Isaac nodded at Derek and turned to face him, "Where are we going?" he asked.  
"I think Scott's going to try and talk Boyd out of this," he said through gritted teeth, "We have to get to the ice rink before he does."

* * *

Anna reached the ice rink too late to do anything. There was only a tell-puddle of blood staining the white ice crimson to show there had been any kind of fight.  
She made her way over to it, and pressed her fingers into the viscous liquid. Still warm. Someone had only left recently. She dabbed the blood onto her jeans and then cursed. "Looking for Scott?" she swiveled abruptly at the voice and skidded slightly on the ice, her shoes not offering too much grip.  
It was Isaac, but he didn't look at all like the lazy-sweet boy she knew. He looked downright dangerous. Clad in black leathers that most girls at her school would probably find attractive, it was only an omen of all the bad things the bite brought. "I don't see how that's any of your business." Her voice broke in fear and for a moment she detested her weakness.  
She took a step back, trying to keep eye contact but failing. He kept advancing, pushing her backwards. She knew she was slowly losing her control but couldn't seem to stop it. "Derek had a pretty rough go at him," his shoulders rippled, fists clenching, "after he kicked the crap out of me. That hurt."  
She scratched her nose. "I-I'm sorry if he hurt you," she said, very carefully. She was almost against a wall, cornered in with this huge boy. She was afraid of the situation she'd been placed in and wasn't sure what was going to happen next. "Are you okay?"  
He scoffed; "Of course I am," Anna kept stalking backwards but found she had nowhere else to go. Pressed up against the wall of the rink, she felt utterly defenseless. Her breathing became rapid and shallow.  
Isaac smirked at her, "I'm not afraid of you." She whispered.  
He let out a howling laugh that seemed to shake the entire building, "That's funny," he growled. His hand slipped up to her throat and wrapped around it, applying pressure. Not enough to choke her but enough to show her he was the one in control. She let her eyes drop. "Because you know what I just heard?"  
She tried to break free of the uncomfortable grasp he had on her neck but she was had no room what so ever to move. She was pinned to the wall; his legs keep hers apart and either side of his body keeping her arms in place. "What?" she asked.  
He came very close, his breath brushing her ear as he spoke very slowly, "You're heart beating faster over the words "I'm not afraid"" she felt a sharp pain towards the back of her neck. She gasped and he dropped her immediately, stumbling away. His body had become very rigid and stiff.  
Anna placed a hand on her aching neck. She felt the bumps of open wounds on her skin and when she brought her hand away there was blood on her fingers. Her blood. Isaac had scratched her. She looked over to him, unable to comprehend. He was backed up against the opposite side of the rink, breathing hard. "Get away," he snarled, "Go."  
"What did you-?" she began but he was already advancing, his teeth clenched.  
"Go, now!" Isaac yelled, "Get away, or I'll kill you!"  
She stared at him for a moment in disbelief and then backpedaled, speeding out of the ice rink. Tears blurred her vision but whether it was from the pain or the force of Isaac's betrayal she didn't know.


	23. 4: Comin To Get Ya

**This chapter was inspired by - **Nightcore - Calling all the Monsters

* * *

Anna sank down onto the old couch, illegal cup of Baileys in hand, rubbing her aching neck. She was unable to sleep, for many nights now, but her nightmares had intensified with the new set of scars that Isaac had left. He'd texted her moments after, promising to call her and explain later on that evening. It was now one a.m. and she was yet to receive the promised call.

She leaned back into the soft embrace of the couch. It had been a long time since she could just relax without being tense or nervous about oncoming events. As far as liquor went, Baileys had to be her favorite simply because it tasted the nicest. Beer was awful on her and wine was an acquired taste whereas her schnapps was just to drown her sorrows with it's pungent and disgustingly sour taste. Anna reached over for the newspaper that had been perched on the coffee table. The headliner was her new obsession; _Brutal Murder leaves residents of Beacon Hills in fear. _It looked as though the murders – or at least more murders – were starting up again in her peaceful little town. She could hardly remember a time when Beacon Hills had not housed wars between hunters and werewolves and vicious, murderous Alphas that were hell-bent on vengeance for a slaughtered family. _Broken families, ageless grudges, forced alliances - Welcome to Beacon Hills, _she thought bitterly. She knew her tiny home town had been searching for a tourism boost but "Hell-On-Earth" might not have been the slogan they were looking for.

It seemed as though she could not stop staring at the photo of Mr. Lahey, Isaac's murdered father. Even in death, he looked smug, brown eyes laughing at her from the page. The man had been a monster, smacking Isaac around the room like his own personal punching bag. She could see now why Scott and Stiles had suspected Isaac so certainly. Anna remembered the anger and hurt and anguish she had felt towards her mother's ex-fiancée, her younger sister's father. She stared at the clock and then her cellphone and back again.

"Anna," a soft voice whispered from the doorway. She craned her head to see and saw the figure of Georgina lingering there. She beckoned her forward  
"You should be in bed. Asleep." She scowled sternly.  
"So should you," Georgina counteracted. She came to flump beside her on the couch and Anna had to place her cup of alcohol over the coffee table so the drips of Irish cream that escaped didn't splash onto the carpet. "And you shouldn't be drinking. Can I have some?"  
Anna downed the rest of the glass, "Not a hope in hell, kid." She coughed. Anna was never good at holding alcohol, and after her first glass she already felt as though she'd had enough.  
"Watcha doin'?" Georgina yawned, pulling her legs up and tucking them under her chin. She had been able to do that since she was six months old and hadn't stopped since. The memory reminded Anna just how fragile her family was and how many times it had come close to fracture. Kyle, her mom and Anna was suffered from varying forms of PTS but Georgina had been diagnosed with hysterical neurosis which sometimes led to unexpected fits. Anna got so worried about her baby sister sometimes, even when people questioned how much she cared. She'd tried to keep Georgina away from this crazy new world for a reason, but she was in it now – of her own choice – and would just have to grow up and deal with it.  
"Waiting for a guy to call," Anna sighed and let her arms go loose, slumping back in her seat, "Life lesson no. Uno: Never wait for a guy to call."

Her cell chose that exact moment to ring into the silence, sending Georgina flinching into the air, shrieking. Anna laughed so hard she fell right off the couch which sent Georgina into hysterics, "Oh, Georgie, you're adorable," Anna giggled.  
"Excuse me," she snapped through narrowed eyes, "I think you mean cool and totally awesome."  
Anna rolled her eyes, "Only in your dreams." she answered the call thinking it to be Isaac and her brows furrowing with worry when she heard a more familiar voice.  
"Wait, Scott, slow down…" she told him carefully. Georgina moved forward inquisitively, craning to hear. Anna swatted her away. "That doesn't make sense-" she nodded, "So you don't know what it is?" Anna nodded a couple of time, "Okay, I'll do some snooping and get back to you-"  
"Was that Scott?" Georgina's face lit up as she bounced on the spring of her heels, "What did he want?"  
"Research…" Anna said resouletely, "Very long, very boring research that will probably bring up nothing because I we have zilch to narrow it down too."  
Georgina's smile faded, "Well you can count me out 'cause that sounds like a job for the grownups. Adios." She stampeded up the stairs, probably waking the other half of the house. Anna stared at her discarder glass and thought about the bottle of Baileys lying so innocently in the fridge. "Well," she sighed, "I'm going to need one heck of a lot more of you."

* * *

The next day at school, Anna was wired, probably from all the alcohol she had consumed last night. She wasn't drunk or anything, just far too full of nervous energy for her own good. She didn't see the two members of Derek's pack that should have been in school, which she supposed was a relief. She couldn't find Carly either, which she was also happy about. Ever since the revelation that her dad was a hunter…. Things hadn't been the same. Carly didn't understand the tension and accused Anna of becoming a convert of Lydia's clique.

Then there was Alec.

He was the only one she couldn't seem to get away from. It seemed everywhere she turned; he was lurking, leaning against a locker or chatting with someone from class. She was purposefully avoiding him because every time she met his eye an inexplicable feeling of hate ran through her that she was yet to pin-point or understand.

Alec was trying to speak to her, to reason with her but she just kept swerving away from his advances. She didn't want to be friends with someone who'd tried to hurt her friends last year. She didn't care about herself, she'd been hurt plenty of times in the past but if anyone laid a finger on Scott or Stiles or Alison or Carly or even Erica, Isaac and Boyd (though she'd never admit it just yet) – they'd die.

She seemed to drift throughout the rest of the day, trapped inside her own head. She didn't want anything, didn't do anything, couldn't do it anyway. She was just too tired of everything that had happened and most of all, her neck hurt.

* * *

It was the night of yet another lacrosse game and Anna was happily wedged between her mom and her sister. Thankfully, no one was up and cheering - which meant Anna had to join in – but only because the home team was losing miserably to "Beavers" some rough, tough kids from inner city San Francisco, probably bitter about having to play a high school from such a small town. She saw Stiles was still on the bench and came to greet him.  
"Hey," she said softly. She not exactly been all too sociable today and this was the first time she'd seen him.  
"Hey," he replied. Then he frowned at her, "What's up with your neck? It's looks like you've been…"  
_Crap. _Anna had forgotten to wear a scarf to cover the scratches and the wind must have blown her dark hair off her shoulders, revealing the tell-tale wounds, "It's nothing-" she was cut short.  
"Who was it?" Stiles demanded his jaw setting. She looked down at the bench and saw his hands forming fists around the cool metal. _Double crap. _"It was Isaac, wasn't it?"  
"It was the cat-" Anna began but she could tell by Stiles eyes he knew she was being dishonest. She'd always been a terrible liar.  
"I'm going to kill him," Stiles vented, "I am. I'm going to skin his little werewolf ass-" he paused and looked down at his watch, "Is that the time!" he exclaimed and jumped up from the bench rushing away.  
"Stiles!" she called after him, "Stiles!" but he kept running off.

* * *

Anna was preparing to go home when her cell rang, _"….Tonight all the monsters gunna dance, we're coming' to get ya. If you're only dreaming? Why I hear you screaming? Tonight all the monsters gunna dance: comin' to get ya, comin' to get ya. Calling all the monsters. Calling all the monsters."_ She listened to her full ringtone before picking up the phone.  
"Hello?" she said in her usual cheery tone as she pulled on the car door. She hadn't been fast enough with shotgun today and was having to slum it with the backseat.  
"Anna!" Stiles shouted into the phone. He coughed and spluttered, as if he was trying not to drown, "Where are you?"  
She heard the splashing of water in the background, "… at my car. Why?"  
"You… get… swimming…now." Was all she heard him say. The message was distorted and grainy. She could barely hear him.  
"Stiles!" she pressed a finger to her ear, "I can't hear you, you're breaking up! What did you say? Stiles? Stiles!"  
"Please…..swimming pools…. Derek….drowning….monster… trouble." Then the line went dead. She palmed the phone for a minute, not knowing what to do. She suspected they were in the swimming pools at school but what did he mean by "drowning" or "monster" and why was Derek with him?  
She went round to the driver's side and tapped on the window, "Mom?"  
"Yes, sweetie?" _Oh god,_ she thought. She hated lying to her mother, even if it was to protect her. It just felt wrong.  
"I just remembered – um – Stiles has something for me, in school," she hastened to add, "And he said he'd give me a ride home."  
She narrowed her eyes at me, "I thought you said the jeep's been impounded as evidence." She questioned. _Triple crap. _  
"-He borrowed his dad's car." Anna finished lamely. She stood for a while as her mom wavered.  
"Okay," she told her but there was clear suspicion in her eyes, "Be safe, honey." She started up the car and just before she pulled away she added, "And make sure he uses protection."

* * *

Anna yelped in realization and glared at the bumper of the car as it pulled away. With all her weird behavior, maybe her mom had suspected some secret love affair but Anna knew that the truth would have been a lot more shocking.

When she reached the swimming pools, the first thing she noticed was the dead girl slumped in the corner. At least, Anna thought Erica was dead. She wasn't moving, it didn't look like she was breathing, either. She didn't let her eyes linger on her once-best friend for long but it was enough to make her tear up.  
"Anna!" she heard a voice cry from the center of the pool. She flicked her head to see Stiles spitting water that was trying to invade his throat, with Derek's arm around his shoulder, keeping him up.  
"What's wrong?" Anna called as she held out her hand for him to take. Stiles shook his head vehemently.  
"Derek's paralyzed," Stiles explained, "If I let him go, he'll die!"  
Anna paused, "Can't you paddle?"  
A rippling roar shot through the pools and Derek had just enough time to scream, "Anna!" before she felt a sharp pain puncture her neck. It wasn't like when Isaac had scratched her, it was less intense than that but it still felt like someone had stabbed her.  
Anna swore and jerked back, rubbing her neck but it was too late. The creatures venomous toxin was already pumping into her body. Her tongue felt swollen, her feet as if they were on backwards. Everything felt stiff and numb. She couldn't force anything to work. Her arms wouldn't reach down to protect herself, her legs couldn't take a step back to avoid a swipe from it's scaled tail. She fell to her knees.  
Somehow Anna managed to stay propped up in a kneeling position as the creature stalked towards her. It's skin was scaly and claws shot out of the end of it's feet, covered in a thick stream of paralytic toxin. It growled low under it's breath and stalked towards her. She had no way of defending herself, no way of stopping the thing from killing her. Her veins felt as though they were getting warmer, like they were burning up. Her breathing was becoming labored and shallow.  
In her peripheral vision she saw Stiles make his way over to the bar that would elevate him. His fingers touched it, brushing it barely but missing and sinking under the water. When they didn't reemerge, Anna didn't even think about the monster prowling towards her, "Stiles!" she screamed until her lungs burned, "Derek! Stiles!"  
A figure moved to the pool in a blur of olive skin and grabbed Stiles and Derek by the shoulders, flinging them out of the water as if they weighed nothing more than an action man figurine. Scott roared at the beast and it immediately broke it's concentration, moving towards Scott instead of Anna. The creature swiped at Scott and sent him careering into a mirror. It shattered into a hundred tiny shards that ricocheted across the floor and walls. Scott picked up a piece in retaliation. The monster paused and stared at it's self in the reflective glass, as if nothing else mattered. Scott noticed it, Anna, too and it seemed as though Derek and Stiles had. It ran right at Scott, missing his head by inches and pushing off from the walls, smashing through the glass roof of the swimming pools.

Anna sighed in relief and allowed herself to fall back against the tiled, marble floor.

* * *

After an hour, the poison wore off and Anna was huddled around the illuminating screen of a laptop with the boys on either side of her. "Is that even a language?" Stiles vented after flicking through a couple of pages. He was still pissed about her scratches but he was leaving it alone for now. They had more important things to worry about.  
Scott shook his head, "How are we even supposed to find out what this thing is?"  
"It's called a Kanima," Derek said, strolling out of the shadows with Erica by his side. Anna had been overjoyed when she'd found out Erica was alive but had had to snuff it. She didn't want to let Erica think they were still on speaking terms or that she condoned their decision to join Derek's pack.  
"You knew the whole time?" Anna questioned.  
"No," Derek admitted, "Only when it was confused by it's own reflection."  
Scott scowled, "Doesn't know what it is?"  
"Or who."  
Stiles sighed deeply. He looked exhausted, "What else do you know?"  
"Just stories," Derek began, "Rumors."  
"But – it's like us?"  
Derek nodded, "A shape-shifter, yes, but…. It's not right." He looked almost afraid but Anna assumed it was probably a trick of the light.  
"It's like a…." he trailed off hopelessly.  
"-An abomination." Anna and Stiles uttered together. They exchanged a worried glance as Derek nodded solemnly.  
Derek and Erica began to turn away, moving to leave when Scott cleared his throat, "Derek," he said firmly, "We need to work together on this, maybe even tell the Argents."  
Derek's palms curled into fists, "You trust them?" he spat the words as if they would turn to poison in his mouth.  
"Nobody. Trusts. Anyone!" Scott enunciated, "That's the problem! While we're here arguing about who's on what side, there's something scarier, stronger and faster than any of us and it's killing people! And we still don't know anything about it!"  
Derek turned his back on the trio, Erica in toe, "I know one thing," he called over his shoulder, "When I find it – I'm gunna kill it."


	24. 5: You're In My Veins & I Can't Get You

**This Chapter is inspired by - **Andrew Belle - In My Veins

* * *

Erica stood attentively at Derek's side. He'd looked grim and stressed ever since the attack by the Kanima, which had left Erica with a killer headache ever since. The Pack was assembled in a neat ring around Derek and everyone looked pale and scared apart from Derek who just looked angry, "Who else?" Derek demanded, after he'd dragged Jackson away, "Who else knows Stiles enough to have recognized him in Kanima-form. We've ruled out Jackson and Anna. I can't think of anyone else."  
Boyd found his voice, "Lydia?"  
"We're going to test her later today," Derek spun and banged his fist into the wreck of the train car, teeth gritted, "Who else!" he was clearly worried about the Kanima threat. Erica suspected he'd been spooked by the Kanima and now he was in panic mode, hoping to get rid of the threat before it because a bigger problem.  
Isaac snapped his fingers, "What about that kid, Alec Wild?"  
Derek gritted his teeth, "Wild?" he echoed and then looked almightily pissed off, "I should have known they'd blow into town with the rest of the Argent scum."  
Erica frowned, "What is it?"  
"Wild," he explained, "Another hunters' family. Been after the Hale's for decades."  
Derek slumped against the wreck of the train car that dominated most of the space in the old rail deport. It wasn't exactly what Erica had pictured as homey, but that didn't matter. She had her pack – her family. People she could rely on.

Unlike Anna.

"Hey," Boyd said, as if he'd read her mind, "I bet Anna would know Stiles's friends. Her and Stiles are practically family.  
Derek thought for a long moment. Erica fought the urge to stare at Isaac, to force him to speak up. He liked Anna. Her scent had been all over him after he'd come from the ice rink. Derek had ordered him to threaten her off, but Erica had feared the worst when she'd smelt blood radiating from him. But Anna looked fine, from what she could tell although the threats clearly hadn't worked, "Get Anna." Derek ordered, turning to Erica.  
Her stomach dropped. Clearly this was bad news. "Anna and I aren't exactly speaking right now."  
Erica could read the desperation in her Alpha's face. "Do whatever you have to," he said tightly, "Knock her over the back of the head and hog-tie her if you have to."  
_Gee, _Erica thought, _I can't imagine why one of my oldest friends isn't talking to me anymore. _  
Isaac grinned wickedly, a mischievous glint in his eyes which now burned fluorescent amber, "I'm up for that, if I get to do that to her."  
Boyd snorted in amusement. Derek rolled his eyes and Erica shot him a disgusted look, "Just – bring her here and quickly," Derek added, "Jackson's going to the cops, he'll clear Isaac's name and then we can find this son of a bitch and kill it."

* * *

Isaac watched as Anna left her house that morning. Stupid girl. Today she wasn't using the safety of any car or truck today, like she usually would. They'd gotten lucky. She was moving towards a garage, probably to retrieve her bike.  
Erica looked nervous. It was clear she wasn't okay with this. But Derek had ordered it and they had no choice but to obey, "I was joking, you know," Isaac added when her lower lip wobbled, "Before. She won't get hurt, I promise you. I'll protect her." he moved to squeeze her hand and somehow the blonde found the courage not to cry. Isaac was glad too. Crying girls made him nervous, even if she was his pack mate.  
A bottle of Rohypnol and a cloth lay in the back seat. Erica stared at it for a long time before handing it to Isaac, "Here," she said shoving the bottle at him. "I can't do it. You can."  
_Thanks._ Isaac thought, _No wonder Anna hates me. I'm about to drug and kidnap her. _He nodded and made his way out of the car, careful not to be seen. "When you see us, start the car up."  
Erica's hand wobbled on the steering wheel and again it had Isaac doubting her usefulness but she nodded anyway, even if it wasn't all too convincing.

* * *

Anna massaged her neck. The wounds were beginning to ache again as she untied her crappy bike from it's equally as crappy lock. The padlock was more for show than anything, Anna didn't think anyone would go as far as to break into her garage all just to steal her crummy bike, but you could never be too sure.  
Anna shuddered suddenly. She couldn't place it, but something just felt wrong, out of place. _Someone's watching me._ She thought but dispelled this idea quickly. It was bad for Anna to linger on those thoughts for even a second. If she did, it would bring back all the memories of horror movie massacres and weird girls that moved as if all their bones were cracking and then she would end up abandoning her bike and walking.  
She thought she saw a shadow flicker in her peripheral vision but dismissed it. _Paranoia,_ she told herself, _you're being paranoid. _  
Then she felt something tug on the back of her neck. She span but saw no one. A taunting giggle sounded, slow and deliberate. She gritted her teeth and refused to show her terror. "Who's there?" she shouted, "Show your face, you coward!"  
Anna could worry about the arrogance of her attacker some other time, despite the fact it had rattled her, she had bigger problems.

Like the hand that was clamping around her mouth and the medical taste of a cloth as it was shoved in her face.

She jabbed her elbow back as an immediate reaction but it met nothing, her attacker was already dancing away, "Gunna have to try harder than that, Chambers." Realization made her body recoil and sent fury flashing through her.  
"Isaac?" she moaned through the cloth but it came out slurred. Her body began to feel heavy, as if she was wading through treacle with every move. She lashed out one last time but someone had already secured her arms behind her back with what felt like rope. Her vision blurred and she felt light-headed. It made her want to throw up.

He let her drop and she stumbled forward, unable to balance without her hands. She fell forward but he caught her before she could hit her head on the concrete, "Easy…" he sighed into her ear and propped her against him. She was tall, her head reaching his shoulder, but he was taller and evidently stronger. Anna could barely keep her eyes open as he dragged her into daylight. She tried to scream but his hand stopped any sound from escaping.

Then she blacked out.

* * *

"…..did you give her?" Anna sat up blearily. She rubbed her eyes but her vision was still shaky as she pried her eyelids open.  
"Enough to keep her out for about twenty minutes," Isaac explained to the female driver. She hadn't recognized the voice at first but as her vision cleared she saw who it was and it made her incredibly angry, "Look, she'd awake now."  
Erica turned slightly in her seat, craning her head to stare at Anna but was unable to meet her eye for long. She looked ashamed. Erica turned back to the road. "Don't worry," Isaac grinned, "I'm not going to have my wicked way with you. Unless that's what you're into."  
Anna gritted her teeth and mock growled but couldn't help the blush that rose in her cheeks, "Bite me." She snapped.  
His eyes flashed, "Don't tempt me."  
Anna kicked the back of his chair as hard as she could. He sprang forward slightly but only laughed at her immaturity, "Hello!" she called, "Help me! I'm being kidnapped by a sex-driven werewolf and my psycho best friend!"

* * *

"Let me out!" Anna was screaming at the top of her lungs, she was yanking on the door handles – which were obviously locked – and tugging on her bonds. Isaac thought if she got any louder his ears would start to bleed. Erica looked uncomfortable, fueling Anna's desperate pleas. She kept yelling, a high-pitched string of noise meant to make their eyeballs explode.  
Isaac lost it and climbed onto the backseat of the Camaro.  
She lashed out of him, turning into a complete wild-cat and kicking at him. He just kneeled on her legs until she cried out. He exploited to moment of vulnerability and practically lay down on top of her. She scowled at him furiously but her legs were pinned under his, and her hands were behind her back. She was completely helpless.  
"Don't." Erica warned but Isaac waved her off.  
"Relax," he said smugly, "I'm not going to hurt her. I'm pretty sure she's enjoying this."  
"Go to hell, Lahey." Anna snarled, trying to throw him. She was grunting with exertion, clearly not able to match the strength of a beta. Eventually she gave up and propped herself onto her elbows. She composed herself, looking calm and rational. "What do you want?" she said quietly.  
_You, _he wanted to say but bit his tongue. "We want to know who Stiles's friends are," he explained. Her heart beat was thumping in her chest so hard; Isaac thought it might spring right out. He relaxed the pressure he'd been putting on her for a moment.  
She looked confused but also didn't seem to be focusing totally on the conversation. Her pupils were dilated and she was giving off very specific hormones. She reeked of it. She was aroused. Isaac smothered his smile, _finally, _he thought, _if only it had been under different circumstances. _  
"Why?" Anna asked suspiciously and then realization hit her, "You're looking for the Kanima? Aren't you?"  
Isaac just stared down at her, "It's not like that-" he began.  
"No," she said in horror, "You think it's one of our friends. And Kanima or not, I'm not letting you kill them."  
Isaac groaned in frustration and exchanged a nervous look with Erica, "Derek won't take no for an answer."  
"I don't care." Anna shot back.  
"He could hurt you. Kill you – even."  
"Mmm-hmmm. I could kill him right back." She added, unconvinced.  
"This isn't a joke."  
He was so close he could feel her legs, hips and even her chest touching his. And he wanted it all. Every time she took a ragged breath, pushed her closer to him. His hands moved over her throat, stroking where the scars where. She might have been the canary to his smug cat. She'd hate that. "Isaac," Erica growled from the front seat, her voice low and clipped with warning, _"Don't."_  
Isaac barely heard her. It was as if Erica didn't even exist anymore. As if it was just him and Anna. _My mate,_ he thought. It was less of a thought really, more of a realization.  
"I know what you're doing." She said. Her voice was wobbly and breathy. She swallowed and the action rippled the muscles beneath his fingers.  
Isaac leaned forward and nibbled the skin there. Her breath caught. Isaac remembered Erica in the front seat, "Woah! PG! PG!" she was shouting at the top of her voice.  
"You're being an ass." She said, but the seriousness was lost in her laughter but she tilted her head to allow him to continue.  
He seized her mouth and for a second there was nothing but hot, intense passion as tongues slid together and Erica rolled her eyes. He fisted her hair but she pulled away abruptly, "I still don't forgive you, you know," she chortled, "Don't think this changes anything."  
Isaac hid his disappointment, "Erica," he barked, "Turn this car around, we're taking her to school." He sprang off her, as if she'd just electrocuted him. Anna looked hurt but he didn't care. She'd hurt him more.  
Erica bit her bottom lip, "But Derek-" she began.  
"We'll tell Derek we couldn't find her," Isaac replied, not looking at his bound beauty in the backseat.  
"But her scent's all over you!"  
Isaac glowered at her, "Then blame me."  
Anna propped herself up in the backseat, "Why-?"  
He turned to her slowly. Even at a distance, he could see her eyes sparkling, reflecting the same desire he felt. But she was stubborn and he'd have better look trying to outrun a cheetah than trying to French-kiss her again. "I won't risk you." He moaned softly.

* * *

"I only found one thing online about the Kanima," Stiles explained as Anna came to join them. She was still a little freaked about what had happened earlier. "Apparently it's a South American were-jaguar that goes after murderers."  
Scott raised a brow, "That thing was not a jaguar-" Scott came to a sudden halt. "Anna-?" he asked in question. Before he could respond, he was taking her forearm and sniffing up, revealing a bruise patterns she been desperate to cover with wrist bands. "You smell like Isaac," his jaw set, "What did he do to you?"  
Stiles mouth gapped, "You went to see him after he scratched you?" he exclaimed, "Are you out of your freakin' mind!" Stiles pushed her hair back to reveal the marks. Anna swatted his hand away.  
Scott seized the back of her neck and examined the cuts, "He scratched you?" he examined her like some sort of zoo animal. Scott sniffed her throat and then coughed, staggering back, "His scent is literally everywhere," he coughed again, "And it's powerful."  
"Will you stop?" Anna suddenly snapped. She couldn't take everyone's sudden over protectiveness, "It wasn't exactly my choice… I was kind of drugged and kidnapped."  
Scott's eyes bulged, "Kidnapped!"  
Stiles looked stunned, "Drugged?"  
"- and they were asking me about the Kanima-thing," Anna explained, "They knew that it recognized Stiles and they were trying to get me to tell them about people he knew well-"  
Scott grabbed her shoulders with callous hands, forcing her to look right at him, "What did you tell them?" it felt like more like an accusation than question.  
"Nothing," she told them, 'Nothing! I swear! I wouldn't betray my friends like that." She added bitterly, thinking of Derek's new pack – Boyd. Erica.

Isaac.

She shivered at his name. "Well, I'm not exactly a murderer." Stiles said after a moment of tension.  
"Yeah, but you kid see it kill somebody." Anna replied.  
"Which is probably why it tried to kill you," Scott added, "And is still trying to kill you. And probably won't stop until you're dead."  
Anna rolled her eyes as Stiles looked peeved, "You know, I'm really starting to doubt this "friendship"."

* * *

"Derek is not going to kill her without proof," Scott told them as they made their way to chemistry. Anna was still in a bit of a dream state after her run in with Isaac but was forcing herself to snap out of it quickly and focus on the issue at hand.  
"Alright so he tests her like he did with Jackson." Stiles said resolutely.  
Anna frowned, "But when and where?"  
Scott glanced for Lydia and over to the second entrance at the other end of the classroom. To stunning, leather-clad figures strolled in. Anna fought the urge to take on a submissive stance, "I think here and now." Scott said blatantly.  
Erica and Isaac moved to sit next to Lydia but the boys got there first, blocking them. Anna took her customary seat next to Carly as she entered the room.  
Carly beamed up at her, "Hey." She said, "I haven't seen you in days," she glanced back at Erica, "And Erica's acting like a total bitch - if you'll excuse my language."  
_If only you knew,_ Anna thought. "Carly, listen," Anna told her severely, "If you see Lydia sitting alone at any point during this class I want you to sit next to her."  
Carly laughed until she was wheezing but her smile fell when she saw Anna's deadpan face, "You can't be serious…" Anna gave Carly a knowing look. She cursed under her breath and began grumbling.  
Anna let her eyes bulge, going round and looking up at her with puppy eyes, "Pleazzzzze…." She said in a cute voice, "This is serious. "Superman-serious"."  
"Superman-serious" was a code name Carly herself had invented back when they were kids. It meant even if the person couldn't explain why something was so severe it called for the phrase, the other person had to believe them. No exception. Scott and Stiles used to use it a lot and Anna thought that the term may actually be needed a lot more in the future.  
Carly gapped before shutting her mouth, "Mine," she mumbled, "But you so owe me."

* * *

Anna was paired with Isaac for her first station. The corners of his mouth were pulled up into a pleased, confident grin. He sat down next to her, skin brushing her shoulder as he leaned back. "Please don't do this." Anna turned to him, begging him to see reason, "Whatever you're planning – just wait until Scott talks to Derek."  
He pretended to reach over for a flask of something but seized her arm instead. She swallowed. His grip was hard and totally unbreakable. She'd probably have better luck snapping her own wrist than breaking the beta's hold on her. "Stop protecting her, Anna," he said in a low tone. She tried to struggle away but knew it was no use. He had her. "You've always hated her and now you're on her side?" he looked disgusted, "You're a hypocrite. Stay out of the way or we will kill you, too."  
A bell sounded and Harris's dry monotone sounded, "Switch."  
"If not scared of you." Anna hissed out. He brought his hand up to her neck and she flinched.  
"Sure you're not." He whispered into her hair before disappearing.

* * *

Anna had her usual lab partner, June, next but she was too distracted by Isaac and Erica to give much attention to the experiment. June noticed, but didn't say anything. They were lab partners, sure, but they weren't _that_ friendly with each other.  
The bell rang soon enough but before she could reach Lydia, Isaac got there. He shot Anna a triumphant smirk over his shoulder which just made her temper flare. She was sat next to Carson. He was probably the only one who made Earth Science with boring, old, batty Miss. Sharp bearable. "Hi, Anna." He smiled at her.  
"Hey, Carson," she smiled back at him and then looked at Isaac. He kept shooting her sidelong looks from Lydia's desk. His eyes flashed. Did she just see… Jealousy flash there? _Good,_ she thought.  
The bell sounded. "Time," Harris confirmed, "If you catalyzed the reaction correctly you should be looking at a crystal." Anna stared into Carson's jaw where a perfect crystal had materialized. She should have known. Carson was a total geek. Anna took it out using her tongs. "Now for the part of the experiment I'm sure you'll all enjoy. You get to eat it."  
"What some?" Carson asked her as Anna's heart thumped in her chest. Isaac turned around to give her a smirk before turning back to Erica. Anna exchanged a panicked glance with Allison, "No thanks," she stammered.  
Scott jumped in his seat, "Lydia!" he screamed. The entire turned to stare at the panicked teen. A few chuckled. Harris rolled his eyes.  
"What?" Lydia demanded but Scott was helpless. Slowly, he sank back onto his lab stool.

* * *

The four of them crammed into a small office near the locker rooms. Everyone was in a state of shock and panic after Lydia's test. She'd been able to digest the Kanima venom without getting hurt, which proved she was the monster but Anna wouldn't voice that to any of them, "Derek's outside waiting for Lydia." Scott told them.  
Allison stared at him for a long moment, "Waiting to kill her?"  
"If he thinks she's the Kanima, then yes," Scott explained. Anna rubbed her temple. "Especially after what happened at the pool."  
"It's not her." Stiles justified. She understood his need to defend Lydia, to help her. It was a common thing for Anna, the urge to protect those she loved. But now her world was crumbling, everyone she knew was becoming a monster of some form. She had people she loved on both sides fighting each other. She didn't know if she could bear any causalities.  
"She didn't pass the test man," Scott said very softly. It was the gentlest she'd seen of him in a long time, "Nothing happened."  
Stiles shook his head vehemently, "It can't be here."  
"It doesn't matter because Derek thinks it's her." Allison reminded them with more than a hint of anger in her voice.  
"So…" Anna sighed slowly, "Either we convince him he's wrong or we try to find some way to protect her."  
"Say's you," Stiles snapped. Anna took a step back.  
Anna frowned at him, "What's that supposed to mean?"  
"You know," he accused, "Fraternizing with the enemy."  
Anna went red, "I was _drugged_ and _kidnapped!"_  
"Stop fighting," Scott silenced them, "Look – I don't think Derek would try anything at school."  
"What about after school?" Allison prompted. Scott flailed wordlessly. "What if we can prove Derek's wrong?"  
Stiles rubbed his temple, "By three o'clock?"  
"There might be something in the beastery," Allison began. Stiles looked like his head was about to explode.  
"Oh yeah, the nine hundred page book written in Arcadian Latin none of us can read, good luck with that."  
Allison looked thoughtful, "Actually I might know someone who can translate it."  
Scott sighed, "I could talk to Derek," he said lamely, "Maybe convince him to give us a chance to prove it's not her."  
"Yeah," Stiles added, "And Anna can talk to Isaac. Get him and Derek's other lap-dogs to back off."  
Anna's stomach dropped. "I don't think-"  
"That's perfect," Scott snapped suddenly, "Anna can distract the pack while I talk to Derek and Allison translates the book. You're a genius, Stiles!"  
Anna bit her lip, "Okay." She said sullenly.  
"But if anything happens," Scott hastened to add, "You let me handle it. Okay?"  
Allison frowned at him, "What does that mean?"

"You can't heal like I do." Scott told her as if it was the most stupid question in the world. Allison gave him an incredulous look, "I just don't want you getting hurt."  
Allison began rummaging through her bag that kept making odd clunking, metallic noises. She flipped something forward and raised it so Anna could see.  
Scott looked at her. Anna knew that expression, Isaac had stared at her the same way back in the car. It meant Scott loved Allison. "What?" she questioned dubiously, "Did something else happen?"  
"I just don't want you getting hurt," Scott mumbled, "Seriously, if anything goes wrong – you call me. Okay? I don't care if your dad finds out. Call. Text. Scream, yell. Whatever, I'll hear you and I'll find you, as fast as I can." Scott got Allison to look at him by tilting her chin up, "We have until three."


	25. 6: You Hit Me Once, I Hit You Back

**This Chapter was inspired by - **Florence and the Machine - Kiss With a Fist

* * *

**{{Sorry 4 late upload guys - real life will do that 2 ya. I'm really glad for all the positive reviews. keep giving feedback - good and bad welcome and enjoy the story}}**

* * *

Anna and company rushed Lydia out of the library. It had taken a mixture of Derek stubbornness; Lydia's failing of the test and the all-round stupidity of the entire back for them to have to be protecting Lydia. It reminded her of movies she'd seen where the guy playing the president was escorted out of the building after an assignation attempt. The only plot twist was that Lydia wasn't the president – even if she thought she was – but the rest of the details were probably accurate except the murder threat was imminent rather than over. Lydia was being un-obliging, as usual, "If we're doing a study group, why didn't we just stay in the library?" Lydia asked, shrugging out of Stiles's grip.

He looked almost hurt, but Anna suspected he'd known Lydia long enough not to take it to heart, "Because we're meeting up with someone else."  
Lydia's eyes narrowed as the rest of the group picked up the pace, almost jogging through the crowded corridors, "Why don't they just meet us in the library?"  
Stiles put his arm on Lydia's back, "Hey that would have been a great idea! Too late…"  
"Hold on!" Lydia protested but Jackson grabbed her arm hard enough so she visibly winced. Anna felt a pang of sympathy, even though she hated the girl, "Lydia, just shut up and walk," he snapped.

No one spoke on the way to Scott's house but even so Anna could feel Alison and Stiles's eyes on her, unwavering question dancing there. The others knew Anna was close to each of Derek's pack and were trying their best not to stare – to try and work out what was going through her head. She hated them. She was angry at all three of them for being stupid enough to put their lives at risk to undergo the bite in the first place and then further it by going after Lydia – even if she wasn't totally innocent. But most of all, she was furious with Isaac. She'd given him her trust, let him kiss her – touch her in ways she'd never let anyone else. Isaac had torn her confidence in him to smithereens. He'd left a blemish on their relationship she didn't know if she'd ever be able to cover.  
She swung out of the car and came to meet their little pack on the other side of the jeep. Lydia was still moaning loudly, "If we're studying at Scott's house, where's Scott?"  
"Meeting us here," Stiles informed her as they clomped up the front steps, "I think. I hope."

* * *

Inside the house, Stiles dead-bolted the door before adding an extra two locks to the front. He peered out of the window but apparently the coast was clear. Lydia stared at him incredulously, "There's been a few break-ins around the neighborhood." He explained but Lydia clearly didn't buy it from the way her eyes narrowed at him. For good measure, Stiles grabbed a chair and propped it under the door. Lydia gestured to it, "And a murder." He ended awkwardly.  
"Lydia follow me," Jackson said darkly, "I need to talk to you."  
Lydia muttered something Anna didn't hear before following Jackson up to the second floor. Alison and Stiles sighed. Anna was full of jittery energy, she could barely keep still. She paced the length of the hallway. She could feel – literally feel – the pack's unwavering intent, the excitement and need to take down prey. It pulsed through her from both sets of scars on her leg and neck. And no matter how much she rationalized – she was bound to the pack and wanted Lydia dead just as much as they did.  
"What do we do?" she murmured at them, "Does Scott have a plan."  
Stiles ran a hand through his buzz-cut, "I hope so."  
"And if he doesn't?" Alison asked quietly.  
They both looked at Stiles. He looked thoughtful, and grim. "Then I guess we'll just have to fight them."

* * *

Darkness had fallen before any real threat emerged. Anna had gone to the kitchen and made everyone coffee. Only she drank it. She was trying to stay awake, to stop herself from keeling over. She was already beginning to sway on her feet. The aching pain seemed to becoming from her throat and leg. Maybe it was some freaky werewolf thing – they were trying to get her out of the way so there was one less person protecting Lydia. But she refused to sleep, not at a time like this.  
Stiles flicked the curtains. He turned back to them, his face pale as he spoke, "We have a problem."  
Anna went to the living room window and stared out. The Pack stared back at her, each one of them wearing a smug grin. Derek waved at her. He _waved. _His silent confidence scared her more than the fangs and claws. She could here Alison in the hall, speaking to Scott, her voice shaking down the receiver. Anna gave them the finger before Stiles visibly moved her away from the window, "Let's not antagonize the angry werewolves."  
She returned with him to the hall, still shaking with anger and adrenaline. She glanced over Stiles's shoulder, trying to crane her head to see out of the small opening. He ran a hand through his hair, clearly frustrated. Alison was tapping away at her phone, Anna and Stiles stared at her for a moment before she questioned the girl, "What are you doing?"  
"I think-" she couldn't seem to form coherent speech, "I think I have to call my dad."  
"But if he finds you here," Stiles warned, "You and Scott-"  
"I know."  
There was a moment of long silence that seemed to stretch out for an eternity before Alison finally broke it with a whisper, "What are we supposed to do?" She said, "They're not here to scare us, they're here to _kill_ Lydia."  
Anna and Stiles exchanged similar looks before Anna fisted her hair violently. Stiles eyes finally came to rest on her crossbow, "I got an idea," he explained, "Shoot one of them."  
"No!" Anna blurted. They both stared at her stunned.  
Stiles glowered at her, "Why not?" he demanded.  
She was asking herself the same question. They'd drugged her, kidnapped her and hurt her in ways that physical pain couldn't match. So why was she still defending them?

The answer was easy.

"They're my friends!" she exclaimed. She could feel the hysteria rising in her throat, chocking her. Tear spilled over her eyelids and dripped onto her t-shirt, "You can't just kill them!"  
Stiles softened, "I didn't say we kill them," he corrected, "Just shoot one of them. We told Scott we could protect ourselves. So, let's do it. At least give it a shot, right?"  
Anna and Alison looked at each other. They might not have had much in common, but they both shared the same look. They both knew this was a terrible idea, "They don't think we're gunna fight," Stiles seethed, "So I guarantee if one of them gets hit, the others will take off. So just shoot one of them."  
She delicately pulled the curtain aside, a look of determination in her face, "Which one?" she finally said.  
"Derek," Stiles decided, "Yeah, shoot him. Preferably in the head." _So much for not killing them, _Anna thought mutinously.  
"Scott was able to catch an arrow," Alison reminded him, "Derek definitely can."  
"Uh – just shoot one of the other three then."  
She paused a moment, "You mean two."  
"I mean three." Anna and Stiles gave each other a knowing look before crowding the window. Anna stared out, but could only see two betas. "Where the hell is Isaac?" Anna squeaked. As she said it, someone grabbed her by the collar and propelled her into the far wall. The momentum sent her crashing into a dresser but she didn't stay down for long.

Alison dropped her crossbow as she was flung to the ground. She didn't move. Stiles was thrown the other way, towards the stairs.  
Isaac lunged at him and dragged him up by the front of shirt. Isaac brought his fist down onto his face. Stiles howled with pain as Anna launched herself at him. She barreled into his chest falling and taking him down with her.  
Isaac's eyes flashed in recognition, "Anna," he drawled, "So glad you could join the party." Alison was stirring but there was no way she'd be able to use the crossbow in her weary state. Anna made a move for it but he grabbed her by the ankles, pulling her backwards. Stiles kicked him and he fell slightly but grabbed Stiles's legs and yanked. He tumbled onto the beta. Isaac punched him again and he fell backwards, nose bleeding profusely.  
Anna got her hand around the crossbow but wasn't able to lift it. Isaac was on her. He grabbed her hair, wrapping it around his fist and yanking hard enough that her head snapped back. She cried out. "Just give us Lydia," he pleaded into her ear, "Don't make me hurt you."  
She growled, "Go to hell."  
She brought her hand around and it hit the side of his face. He stumbled off her slightly, so that her torso was free but her legs were still trapped underneath herself. Isaac put his hands around her throat. Her airways cut off and she was struggling to breath. She pushed her hand into his face, scratching his jawline, trying to pry his fingers away with her other hand.

Isaac dragged her to her feet. She yelped and tried to head-butt him but he danced away. She groaned in frustration. She was quickly silenced when her head connected with a blunt ornament. She put her shaking fingers to her throbbing head. Blood came away.

Stiles crept up behind him with a lamp between his fingers. The beta sensed him before he had the opportunity to bring it down on his head. He pushed it out of his grasp and threw him to the floor. Isaac tore at the back of his shirt and pulled him forward. There was a lot of growling. Anna glanced over to where Alison had been lying to see the girl was getting up and sprinting towards Lydia's room. Isaac didn't seem fazed.

The front door splintered open in a shower of plaster and veneer that shot across the floor. Erica stood in the doorway, amber eyes gleaming on an ebony backdrop. She strutted inside. Anna stepped in her path. Erica looked smug, "Get out of my way." She snarled.  
Anna stood her ground, snarling right back, "Get the hell out of my friend's house, _bitch!_" Anna tried to kneecap her but Erica was faster her and got her into a headlock. She chocked for breath as she was flipped into the air. It wasn't like the movies, where the heroine just gets back up. Anna could barely breathe, her lungs ragged from agony. Erica shot her a smirk before continuing through the rest of the house.

Anna lay there for a few moments as she felt sorry for herself but once she felt okay enough to stand, she had some precious moments to shuffle awkwardly to her feet before the onslaught began again. She lunged at Isaac and he hit the floor with her. She scratched at his face and he howled in anguish, "Payback!" she smirked as someone grabbed him from behind and threw the beta bodily across the length of the hall until he cracked against the damaged door. He didn't get up. Despite herself, she felt a stir of panic.

"Make sure he doesn't move." Scott instructed her as he went to stalk out Erica. Anna helped Stiles sit up. She handed him a tissue so he could wipe away the blood.  
"Still think they're your friends?" he asked her quietly.  
Silence. After a moment she shook her head, fighting away the childish tears. He tilted her head towards him, "Nice shiner you got yourself there."  
Anna rushed to the mirror, careful not to step on Isaac's foot. A ghost of a girl she used to know stared back at her. Her unruly hair was now a matted mess of hair and blood from the gash on her head. A purple bruise was already forming on her cheek, another on her chin. She touched it and winced. _Yep, mom is going to kill me._  
Stiles shuffled over to Isaac's twitching body and kicked him right in the face, "That's for Anna, you jerk."

There was a crashing from the stairs and they both turned to see Erica's body come thudding down the steps. Anna didn't even feel sympathetic. Stiles dragged Isaac away from the door so it swung open. Scott chucked Erica and Isaac onto the front lawn at Derek and Boyd's feet.

Scott emerged, with the other three following close behind. "I think I'm finally getting why you keep refusing us, Scott," Derek said knowingly, "You're not an Omega. You're already an Alpha, of your own pack." - Anna, Stiles and Alison exchanged a look. Anna bit back a smile of triumph as Derek smirked – "But you know you can't beat me."  
Scott looked at him, deadpan, "I can hold you off until the cops get here."  
Over the wailing of sirens, there was a small hissing sound. The kind of sound you might here from a gas cooker or a snake at the zoo. Anna glared up at the roof, where she'd heard the sound. A reptilian monster stared back at her. She trotted away from the house and towards the safety of her friends. It looked at them all collectively before letting out a spine-tingling howl that would surely continue in her weekly nightmares.  
Derek glanced down at Erica and Isaac's unmoving bodies, "Get them out of here." He mumbled to Boyd as the creature leaped away.

A moment later, Lydia appeared and she did not look happy, "Can someone please tell me what the hell is going on?" she demanded.  
Anna's face paled with realization, "It's Jackson."


	26. 7: I'll Be There In The Night

**This Chapter was inspired by – **Blackmore's Night – Just Call My Name (I'll be there)

{{this is an awesome song and good to listen to when you're reading this fanfic chapter}}

* * *

When Anna pulled up to her house, she prepared for the worst. Scott shot her a sympathetic smile as she climbed out of the backseat and made her way up towards her house. She now felt very aware of her bruising. Everything hurt, like someone had hit her with a freight train and she longed to collapse into bed and never get up again. Wincing, she turned her key in the lock and entered the house.

Her mom was working late again, which at least was a bonus. She made a move for the stairs but her brother stopped her using only his voice, he hadn't even turned to look at her, "Nice shiner," he commented, "Let me guess, the other girl looks worse?"  
"Huh?" she said dubiously before giving her brain a mental kick, "Oh – yeah, totally."  
Kyle sighed, pausing the Xbox, "You're a terrible liar, you know."  
Anna inhaled sharply, "I don't know what you're-"  
"Cut the crap, Anna," Kyle said hotly, "You've been lying for the past few weeks now, about everything. I don't know what's going on and frankly, it's your business so I'm not gunna push but I need to know you're alright."  
Anna ran a hand through her hair, "Okay," she finally sighed, "These guys were picking on Scott and Stiles. Really roughing them up, you know? I had to step in….and they won."  
His arm on hers was brotherly and protective, "Did you know them? See their faces? Hear any voices, smell, perfume or cologne?"  
"No, no," Anna lied. She hated doing it, but it was necessary, "It's all just a blur." She looked into his eyes pleadingly, "Can I go to bed now?"  
He released her, "Sure thing," he replied, "By the way, it's gunna hurt like hell in the morning and you better use something to cover it before mom sees or she'll flip."  
Anna nodded solemnly, literally dragging her feet in the direction of her room. When she got on, she didn't even attempt to change out of her clothes only collapsed on the bed and cried.

For a long moment she stared at the fluttering of the canopy curtains as she recounted the night. The force of the betrayal was worse than any bruise her battered skin had amounted, worse than any broken bone she could have received. It was like a virtual slap in the face with a hammer. It was raining outside her room, a miserable dribble on the window to match her anguish. She sunk down against her closed door and held her head in her hands. She felt furious, betrayed, disappointed and lonely – all the emotions clashing within her to create a bubble of hysteria that rose in her throat. She hiccupped on a sob as a single tear welled up in each eye. An olive, long, slender finger reached up to wipe it away when the dam suddenly broke.

Anna didn't cry in public, as a rule. She had broken that rule a few times since this entire mess had begun but never for more than a few seconds. Here, in the silent seclusion of her room she could come to terms with her emotions and bawl her eyes out. She desperately needed someone to hold her, to tell her everything was going to be alright and even after everything he'd done to her – she still felt herself longing for Isaac.

It wasn't fair. She didn't understand why she couldn't let herself stop loving him. She hated him, despised him with a burning passion but at the same time, she knew she really, passionately love him. She jumped to her feet and span around so fast her shoes squeaked on the hardwood floor. She drove her fist into the wall and then cried out in agony. She stared down at her bloody hand, shaking uncontrollably.  
"Anna," the voice was so soft, she almost didn't catch it. She span rapidly to see a boy leaning on her open window sill. Normally, she might have been overjoyed to see him but that was before his eyes glowed amber and his fingernails became claws every full moon. Now she just wanted to claw his eyes out.  
She gritted her teeth and rounded on him as he got to his feet, "Get out," she seethed. She pushed his chest and he stumbled a little, "Get out of my house, now!"  
"Anna," he said again softly but she didn't listen. She battered her tiny fists against him in a desperate, angry and hysterical display of the pressure of the past few days breaking her. He grabbed her wrists in retaliation and she stopped struggling. If she tried to wriggle away she'd probably break her own arm. Isaac looked down at her, tilting her head up slightly, "Oh my god," he muttered, more to himself, "I had no idea you were hurt that bad. I'm sorry."  
"You're not sorry," she snapped, pointing an accusing finger at him, "You wanted to kill Lydia, even if she wasn't the Kanima just because you wanted to hurt her the way she hurt you," – his eyes went downcast – "I know you did. I could feel it." He dropped her when he realized she wasn't fighting him anymore; "Remember?" her grin was feral and full of rage, "When you threatened me at the ice rink? You left a parting gift!" She ripped the hair away from her throat to reveal the neat set of four scars from when he'd ceremonially dug his claws into her. He inhaled sharply, he'd seen them before of course but Anna doubted he'd been totally Isaac but more blinded by the wolf. He brushed his fingers lightly over them, and Anna forced herself to suppress a shiver. Her heartbeat did kick up though. "Get out." She ground out again.  
Isaac spoke softly to her, "Listen, I know I did something stupid but I didn't know it would ruin our friendship and I'm really sorry if I hurt your feelings. It's Derek. I'm part of his pack, he's my Alpha, I have to do what he says and I'm so, so sorry I hurt you, I really am. It's up to you if you want to forgive me or not but I'm apologizing right now and I hope we can get back to the relationship we had before." He sounded sincere, which just made Anna feel worse. Just because he'd apologized didn't automatically mean she was ready to forgive and forget.

Anna paced the room, scrubbing at her face with her hands. The pain was a raw reminder of the brutality he was possible of but still – she loved him. And she had no idea what to do. "Look – I need time," she linked her fingers together, staring at him. He nodded solemnly, "It's not going to happen overnight and you're in for some serious ass-kissing," she managed a watery smile, "You're gunna have to work hard to make it up to me and don't get your ass shot by any hunters," she warned, "I appreciate your apology but I can't be around you right now. Not until you control it. Get Derek to teach you, chain yourself down for a month, whatever… I just want to be able to touch you without flinching."

Isaac nodded in acceptance, "I will, Anna," he told her, "I promise." Anna turned away from him, still too mad for any more coherent speech. She'd calmed down but she was still angry. He followed her, "Go." She whispered and shoved him, "Go!" but he didn't. He caught her by the small of her back so there legs and hips were pressed together.  
Her breathing became shallow as she stared at his face, at his lips. It wasn't right, the way he was toying with her emotions. She tried to pull away but he pulled her back so their chests were touching. She'd have better luck trying to wriggle out of the jaws of a wolf than trying to get away from him, "Let me go." She pleaded.  
"No." he growled back and crashed his lips into hers. She was angry at him and tried to maneuver her mouth away but he just pushed her forward. In the end, she gave up and sank into the kiss. She felt like a traitor as she felt his tongue slide into her mouth. Scott and Stiles would kill both of them if they knew. Isaac let her fall and she hid her disappointment, "There's my guarantee." He winked before climbing out of her window, leaving her stood speechless.

* * *

Kyle was right. The next morning when she woke up, she whimpered into her pillow. She hurt all over – even in places she hadn't been injured. Her lips still tingled from the kiss the previous night. All she wanted to do was lie in bed all day but she knew that would raise questions from her mother and eventually somebody would find out what Isaac had done. If she acted like everything was fine, she wouldn't blow a massive hole in the werewolf secrecy.  
She swung her feet out of bed gently and trotted across the hardwood floor. She stared at herself in the mirror and grimaced. There was a huge, black bruise on her cheek and an angry purple on beneath it on her jaw line.  
She jumped in the shower and applied concealer in a bid to cover the blemishes. At that moment, she loved make-up. There was only a slightly blue-violet outline on her cheek. If she applied some purple eye-shadow it would look like some had smudged onto her cheek. Risky, but a better alternative than walking around with a purple outline and no explanation.

"Nice job, sis," Kyle commented as they pulled up to the school, he didn't sound bitter or angry just remained stoic, "You managed to fool, mom."  
Anna stopped him as he reached for the door handle. He looked down at her fingers locked around his arm but didn't say a word. Then graciously accepted the hug as she wrapped her arms around him, "What's wrong, Anna-Banana?"  
She sighed, "I just – needed to do that." She could tell her didn't buy it, but he didn't question her either.

* * *

School passed without complaint. Anna dragged herself from lesson to lesson. Jackson wasn't in school, neither was Scott or Stiles – she knew why, they'd called her too explain and she'd spent the next ten minutes shouting down the speaker, ranting about their awful plan. She was glad when lunchtime finally came around, Anna waved Carly over.  
Carly plunked her tray down next to Anna's packed lunch, pulling a slice of soggy school pizza from her plate, "OMFG, did you know that Alec has been suspended?"  
_Good,_ Anna thought but tried to look concerned, "Why? How?" she hadn't seen much of Carly or Alec recently – her human friends. They both came from hunter families and Anna was having a hard time trusting either of them even if Alec was the only one who knew about werewolves. "Nobody knows," Carly explained, cheese dripping out of her mouth, "Just that he isn't allowed back for at least two weeks. I wonder what he's gunna do with all that spare time."

* * *

Alec was positioned to the left of Gerard. He understood that Gerard had to be called in but the guy still gave him the creeps. Alec knew his philosophy was to wipe out all werewolves, which Alec didn't agree with. He wanted to kill the ones that posed a threat like Derek Hale and that idiot Lahey but not those that chose to live in quiet seclusion and controlled the wolf. On last count, there were around a thousand or so individuals living in mainland America. He didn't mind putting a bullet in Isaac's head but straight out genocide was different somehow.

"Do we know if Derek is yet to build his pack?" Gerard asked Alec thoughtfully. The look he gave Alec was unnerving. He felt as if a sweat would break out.  
He shuffled awkwardly on his feet, "No, sir," Alec informed in respectfully, "Lahey is the only known beta at the moment. There could be more but we have yet to discover them."  
Gerard poured out a shot of whisky and swirled it down with pills from a silver medicinal container, "Do we have any other connections to Hale or Lahey – aside from Scott and his friends?"  
Alec bit his lip. There was always Anna but you never quite new where her allegiances laid. Lahey had had his hands all over her at the winter formal but had been avoiding him since. He thought better of it and just said, "No, sir. Sorry, sir."  
Gerard stared at him for a long moment, assessing him. He tried to keep as still as possible and not look like the frightened little boy he currently was, "It's Gerard," the old man finally said, face breaking into an untrustworthy smile. He may look like a kind grandfather figure but he hid a lot of power beneath his overcoats and suede shoes. His eyes narrowed to slits, cold and extremely dangerous, "Relax, Alec. You look like you're about to chew through an electrical cable." Alec nodded for a moment before turning away when his father called him from the hall. As he moved up the basement staircase, he could feel Gerard's calculating eyes watching him from the stairs. He knew Alec was holding something back, trying to keep his friends safe. Alec didn't know what lengths Gerard was willing to go to obtain the information he needed.

* * *

Anna dragged herself home from school. Literally, pulling her feet like she had no energy. Wasn't that a symptom of depression? Figures. She pushed her key into the lock and was greeted by the sickening smell of eggs. Her stomach did a flip and she gagged. She hated eggs, with a passion but unfortunately when one of your siblings is a vegetarian you have to make sacrifices.  
Georgina was sat at the table, tucking into boiled egg and tomato. Anna pulled a face at it as she went over to the fridge, "Mom's mad at you."  
Elena came storming into the kitchen, her face as red as a cherry tomato. She never got that mad. Anna was almost afraid, "Annabella Persephone Chambers! Can you explain to me what this is?" she looked down at the graphic t-shirt she was holding in her hands. It was from the night at the swimming pools, when the Kanima had attacked her. There was a large rip down the back of it from where the Kanima had slipped her with it's claws. She'd worn it again – last night when fighting Isaac before she'd noticed the tear and now blood spilled down the front of it. Anna stood for a moment, mind racing as she tried to think of an excuse. Her mother just stood in front of her, waving her t-shirt like a flag, "Well?"  
"I had a – nosebleed. I had a nosebleed. I don't know where the rip is from," she added lamely, "Maybe I feel down the stairs at school or something."  
Her mother threw herself into one of the kitchen chairs and sighed. Georgina was watching with barely contained amusement and Anna wondered if the mutinous little cretin had been the one to point out the ripped t-shirt. "It's not just this," her mother informed her. She set the t-shirt aside, pushing it away from her. Elena didn't look at her but fiddled with her bracelet, "Scott and Stiles have been given a restraining order by Mr. Whittemore for kidnapping Jackson, did you know anything about that?"  
She tried to lie, but she was a bad liar – and a terrible one under pressure. Her desperate face must have portrayed her honesty. Elena stared into her eyes, as if searching for someone, "I'm just so disappointed in you," Elena was on the brink of tears. Anna could hardly look at her mother so instead she let her gaze stray out of the window. Night was falling fast, leaving a faint trace of indigo across the sky. The sun crept downwards on the horizon. The sunset bled across the sky, orange running along the horizon like a split egg yolk. The last of sunlight's evening rays split through the gaps in trees and fell onto the window. "It's not just this," Elena continued, Anna risked a glance at Georgina who no longer found it funny. In fact she even looked a little guilty as she hid her expression behind a curtain of dirty blonde hair. _Traitor, _Anna thought. "It's the weird behavior – the nightmares and all the secrecy, the late nights and the bruises," – Anna paled – "Oh, I know about them. Just tell me Anna, is it someone you know? Is someone bullying you?"

Anna brought in a deep breath. This was it, the big decision. She could either tell her mom the truth or try to think of a convincing lie. She could feel Georgina's eyes on her from the table, feel the weight of her gaze pressing down on her. She turned her head a fraction of an inch to shoot a sidelong look at her sister. She shook her head sharply, barely moving it at all and so fast Anna almost missed it. But the message was there: _No. _Even Georgina who barely knew anything about werewolves was telling her to keep her mouth shut.  
Anna rolled her shoulders, "It's…" she bit her lip. What would she say? How would she explain? Georgina stepped on her toes under the table. She mouthed one word from behind her hair: _Track. _  
"Track," Anna stumbled over her words at first but once she got into it, she managed to pull it off, "I – uh – It's a violent sport you know. Cross-country terrain can be tough. I mean, we were in the preserve yesterday, and I scraped my knee," at least that wasn't a lie. Anna lifted her bloody kneecap for all too see. Georgina made a disgusted sound in the back of her throat. "Yep, it was bad."  
Silence. Anna shuffled uncomfortably but stopped when she realized she was being assessed, "Fine," Elena finally said, "But from now on – you call me if you're staying out late and tell me where you are." Anna swallowed a lump in her throat and nodded.

Elena eyed her for a moment before throwing her t-shirt in the laundry pile and leaving the kitchen. Anna sighed and slung herself into a chair, "That was close…" she breathed.  
Georgina popped a slice of tomato into her mouth, "You need to be more careful," Georgina smiled at her, "And before you ask – no, it wasn't me. So, fill me in."  
Anna managed a wavering smile. She was happy she could have someone to talk to about this without having to stress over every detail. She let her voice drop, "Where were we up to last time?"  
"Alpha's dead. Derek Hale = new Alpha. Lydia disappeared from hospital, thought she was a werewolf, told me to stay in car because "too dangerous"." Georgina told her. It struck Anna that she hadn't been close to her family since Peter bit Scott and that bothered her.  
"Well," Anna whispered, "Lydia's not a werewolf-"  
"Huh?" Georgina interrupted, "I thought you said the bite turns you or kills you."  
Anna adopted a frown, "It's supposed to."  
"Ooooooh…." Georgina's eyes glowed, "More mystery."  
"Yep," Anna said, "But that's not the biggest problem. Derek's got a new pack and there's a new monster."  
Georgina beamed, "You're joking?"  
Anna bit her lip, "Unfortunately not."  
"That is so _cool._" She exclaimed, she had now dropped all of her coloring pencils, pushing them to one side, completely immersed in the conversation, "Who are the new pack members?" she demanded.  
"Erica Reyes, Isaac Lahey and Vernon – Boyd – whatever." Anna finished. The light in Georgina's eyes died a little.  
"Oh." She blurted comprehendingly, "Sorry."  
Anna shrugged but didn't offer a response. She currently still didn't know what to say whenever people approached her with this particular conversation. Almost all her closest friends now knew some aspect of the supernatural realm. Only Carly and the rest of Anna's family seemed to be in the dark. "What's this big bad monster?" Georgina pressed.  
Anna sighed, "Legends call it the Kanima. In the myths, though, it's a South American werejaguar that goes after murderers this is more like a – a weresnake. You've heard about the murders haven't you?"  
Georgina inhaled sharply, "Is this thing behind it?" Anna nodded solemnly, "Do you know who it is?"  
Anna was conflicted. The more people knew about Jackson, the higher the risk of Derek's pack finding out who it was. They had had no idea Jackson had been in Scott's house that night and with Derek on the warpath, "It's Jackson," she decided, "Jackson's the Kanima. Sort of."  
Georgina frowned, "What do you mean "sort of"?"  
"When Jackson's not all snakey, he can't remember anything about what happened to him. Not turning into the Kanima, not killing people, getting rid of evidence. Nothing."  
Georgina whistled, "That sounds like a lot of trouble you, guys are in," she leaned forward, brown eyes flecked with gold sparkling, "You so have to bring me along one of these times."  
"I will," Anna lied. She had no intention of dragging a ten-year-old monster hunting with her. Derek would certainly kill her if he found out Georgina knew about them, "I promise."


	27. 8: Love Will See Us Through Dark Days

**This Chapter was inspired by - Punch Brothers - Dark Days**

_****Friends, as long as we hide our love away,_  
_ In the good they'll never know._  
_ It can see us through these dark days,_  
_ Though they seem to darken as we go._  
_ Our love will see us through these dark, dark days._

* * *

The next morning at school, Stiles came to find Anna with some startling information, she'd barely gotten through the door before Stiles was waving a tablet in front of her face. She frowned at him and swatted it away as he launched into a conversation, "Lydia managed to translate the text we gave Alison."  
Anna's eyes went to the size of saucers, "She did?" Anna pulled her backpack strap higher around her shoulder. She grimaced as she poked a particularly painful bruise but at least it had diluted from yesterday. Her face, though, that felt like someone was slapping her over and over again.  
"Yeah," Stiles told her as they began to walk towards Chemistry, "Apparently Lydia knows Archaic Latin."  
"Really?" Anna questioned again. She stopped just before she entered the lab to dumb some books into her locker. She stifled a yawn, even though she wasn't that tired. The events of the past few months had really begun to take a toll on her body, and she didn't really want any more Earth-shattering news but she couldn't exactly stand back and just stop – not when she was this far in.  
"Mmh-hmmm," Stiles replied thoughtfully. She could tell by the wistful look on his face he was thinking about Lydia, "There's a legend on here that tells the story of a priest who used the Kanima in his village to execute murderers-"  
Anna shrugged, "Well it can't be all bad, then, right?"  
"-until the bond grew enough that it killed anyone he wanted it to."  
Anna thrust a hand through her mess of tangled hair and sighed, "Right, because there's always a catch. It can never just be simple can it?"  
Stiles seemed to sense her frustration, "Are you okay?" he asked softly, "You sound edgy."  
"Why does everyone keep asking me that?" she snapped, "I feel _fine_… just – I don't know, my emotions have been running high lately."  
Stiles teetered on his feet, "Maybe it has something to do with the full moon," he suggested was a half-shrug, "You were scratched, right? Does this usually happen around this time of the month?"  
Anna thought back to all the sleepless nights, the horrific dreams and most of all the violent aggression and strength she'd had at the end of each month, in line with the lunar calendar, "Yeah," she admitted, "Maybe you're right…"  
There was silence before Anna perked again. She gave him the best smile she could muster, "So, the Kanima?"  
He kicked himself out of his sleepy state, "Oh yeah," he murmured, "But get this – the Kanima is actually supposed to be a werewolf but can't become one unless it resolves something in it's past."  
Anna scowled as she thought about his words. Resolved it's past. She didn't really know that much about Jackson – only that he was adopted, a people-pleaser and a jerk, "What do you think that means?" she asked finally, shutting her locker door.  
"Alison thinks it's something to do with his parents," Stiles muttered as they reached the door to the science lab, they paused in front of it so they could finish their conversation without Harris yelling at them or Erica or Isaac over hearing them. "But we're not sure yet."  
Anna popped a strip of chewing gum into her mouth. She always got away with it simply because Harris never suspected her – even if he was forever moaning about how she should have applied for his AP class. "So, what's the plan?"  
"Alison's going to talk to Jackson, seeing as he doesn't have a restraining order against her and then… we go from there, I guess."  
Anna nodded, "Right," she mumbled, more to herself, "Plan of action is to work out what's stopping Jackson from becoming a werewolf. I'll add it to my mental list of priorities."  
Stiles cheerfully rolled his eyes, "Which is how long now?"  
"Oh, you have no idea." She swung her arm around him, or at least attempted to, because she was an inch or two shorter than him. He smiled as they wandered into class together late – Harris shouting at them at usual. It was a welcomed slice of normality and brought them back to speed from one hundred miles an hour to nothing in about a second.  
"May I warn you, Miss. Chambers and Mr. Stilinski that tardiness in my class is unacceptable," Harris noted dryly. Carly stifled a giggle as Anna sat down next to her, "And if I were you Miss. Chambers I would choose a different cohort." He glared at Stiles and then at Carly before turning to the chalkboard where he began spitting equations and insulting various students.  
"Jerk," Carly muttered and then turned to smile at Anna, "Hey, have you heard about that party tomorrow night?" Carly piped, Anna shook her head, "I can get us the tickets? Wanna come?"  
Anna glared at her friend through narrowed eyes, "Is this some kind of illegal rave, Carly Hamilton?" Anna said tauntingly.  
"Only if you're a loser!" Carly stuck her tongue out and place an "L" on her forehead. Anna swatted her too quickly for Harris to catch. A smile finally returned to her lips after so long as she happily jotted down notes. It had been a long time since she could just act like a normal teenage girl, "So, are you in Chambers? Or are you gunna be a lil' scardey cat?"  
Anna growled at her menacingly, "I am so going."  
She continued through the rest of the lesson, chatting with Carly in a hushed voice and getting yelled at a lot. She could feel Isaac staring at her the entire lesson but chose to ignore it. She was being angry with him, for definite – okay, so she did shot him a sidelong look when she thought he wasn't looking. He winked at her. Oh god.  
Anna kept poking Carly under the bench until she screamed and Harris separated them, "Miss. Chambers take a seat next Mr. Lahey." The shock must have registered on Anna's face because Harris added, "It's okay, Miss. Chambers. I'm sure he doesn't bite."

Anna swept to her feet and came to sit beside the blue-eyed boy who was already staring at her, "Hi." She mumbled before suddenly becoming very interested in her notes. She glanced at Carly who was barely suppressing a knowing grin. In fact, the entire class had some kind of acknowledgment on their face. _Breath, _she instructed herself, _Just breath. They're only curious._  
Isaac grabbed her face and pushed his lips onto his. The class let out an "ooh!" of surprise but when Harris turned around to see what was causing the commotion, Isaac had already dropped her. Anna was flustered, the entire class staring at the pair. "Mr. Lahey? Miss. Chambers? Is there a problem."  
"Not at all, sir," Isaac said gruffly, "Not at all."

* * *

Anna cried out in agony as Carly punched her on a bruise. It was their lunch break, but neither one felt particularly hungry. "What the hell was that?"  
"What was what?" Anna asked innocently.  
Carly narrowed her eyes, leveling a finger with her. "You know what," she ground out, "You kissing the psychotic gravedigger who may or may not have killed his father."  
Anna shoved her playfully, "One: he kissed me, two: he is not psychotic and three: they dropped the charges."  
"He's still a "person of interest" according to my dad." Carly reminded her. She didn't really care about Carly's father. She hadn't returned to her friend's house ever since the night at the police station when Carly's dad had locked her in the office. It made her think about how she'd been able to break the shatterproof window during the full moon. Maybe she adopted some of the traits of a werewolf when the moon peaked without actually transforming into one. It would explain her heightened anger before, during and after moons and her supernatural strength. _Oh great, _she thought bitterly, _Now I'm a freak, too. _  
"Yeah, well, interest does not translate as guilty, you know." Anna said solemnly. Carly looked a little wounded under her layers of happiness.  
"Yeah, yeah. I still think he's a murderer so don't call me when he's stabbed you and your bleeding to death down the other end of the phone," _pretty much already done that, _Anna thought, "I gotta go," Carly said regretfully, "I have to get this new article in, like now. My deadline was yesterday. God, I'm so bad at this."  
Anna put a supportive hand on her friend's shoulder, "You'll be fine," Anna soothed, "You're a great journalist. You're gunna make an awesome writer someday."  
Carly wrapped Anna in an embrace, "Thanks, Anna-Banana," she said, "I know we've been a bit distant these last couple of weeks and I'm sorry. I'm lucky to have a friend like you."  
Anna thought back a swelling bubble of emotions in her chest. She hated this, despised lying to everyone she loved. It felt so wrong. Why couldn't she just tell them the truth so she could go back to being normal, carefree, shy, Anna? "So am I."

* * *

Anna was turning right down the west wing, approaching the boy's changing rooms when she heard a large breaking sound and then the grunting of fights and the sickly sound of fists hitting flesh. She broke into a sprint and slid into the corridor just in time to see Erica and Stiles to rip two warring boys off each other. On closer inspection, she recognized them as Scott and Jackson. "Stop it!" she yelled as they tried to break free of their captors grasps. She stood between them, palms out flat just in case they did escape, "Enough!"  
"What the hell's going on?" Harris demanded as he stormed toward them, "What do you idiots think you're doing?" Harris screamed into Scott's ear. Scott winced slightly, "Jackson! Calm down. Mr. McCall, you wanna explain yourself? Stilinski?" but no one spoke up.  
Matt Daehler handed Scott a tablet, "You dropped this." Harris snatched it from his grasp and pointed it menacingly at Scott and Jackson, "You two," he frowned before extending his range to the seven gathered people, "In fact, all of you. Detention, three o'clock."

* * *

Anna took a seat on her own at one of the tables. She wanted a bit of quiet. Usually in detention, she would keep one tab open for work but actually be surfing Tumblr with her headphones in. No teacher ever checked what she was doing because she was one of the geeky kids that could fade into the background easily. Teachers trusted her, and she used that trust to her advantage. Sometimes she felt guilty about it, but it was a better alternative than actually doing work in her free time.  
"I can't be in detention with them," Jackson justified, "I have a restraining order against these tools."  
Harris raised an eyebrow, "All of these tools?"  
Stiles pointed to himself and Scott, "No, just us tools."  
Harris pointed to the table Anna was sat at, "Fine," he negotiated, "You two, over there."  
Scott took a seat beside Anna and Stiles sat opposite them.  
"I'm going to kill him." Scott seethed, palms wrapping into tightly curled fists.  
"No, no," Stiles informed him, trying to calm him down, "You're going to find out who's controlling him and then you're gunna save him."  
Scott shot Jackson a murderous look, "No, you're right, let's kill him."  
"Oh, no - " Stiles suddenly turned, pointing an accusing finger at Anna, "And you!" he exclaimed, "Fraternizing with the enemy. Again."  
Anna looked almost wistful, "Yeah. Yeah, I was."  
Stiles rolled his eyes, "You're both as bad as each other." Anna and Scott exchanged a gleeful look as Stiles went back to brooding, "Hey," he suggested, "What if it's Matt? I mean this whole thing comes back to the video, right?"  
"Danny said Matt was the one who found the two hours of footage missing," Scott whispered.  
"Exactly!" Stiles whispered back, "He's trying to throw suspicion off of himself."  
"So he makes Jackson kill Isaac's dad, one of Argent's hunters and a mechanic working on your jeep-?" Scott asked briefly.  
"Yeah!" Stiles explained.  
"Why?" Anna asked.  
"Because…" Stiles began, "He's _evil._"  
The three of them stared at Matt for a moment before Scott spoke again, "You just don't like him."  
Stiles bit his lip, "The guy bugs me, I don't know what it is, just – look at his face."  
Anna rolled her shoulders, "Any other theories?"

Jackson stood abruptly, rubbing his temple. He looked sickly pale and having trouble walking. "I have to go to the bathroom." Jackson whined.  
"Are you alright?" Harris asked with genuine concern, "Hey, you don't look so good."  
Jackson waved him away, "I just need to get some water."  
Harris stood for a moment and pointed at the students, "No one leaves their seats." He ordered before following Jackson from the room. As soon as he left, Scott and Stiles made a move for the table Erica was currently seated at. She followed them out of instinct. Anna threw herself into the seat next to Scott. "Stiles said you know how Jackson's parents died."  
She shot them a smug glance, "Maybe."  
Anna reached out for her hand on the table. Erica withdrew it before they could make contact, glaring at Anna as if she was diseased, "Please, Erica."  
Erica placed her pen and notebook on top of her netbook, "It was a car accident," she informed them, "My dad was the insurance investigator and every time he sees Jackson drive by in his Porsche, he makes some comment about the huge settlement he'll be getting when he's eighteen."  
"So, not only is he rich now he'll be getting even richer at eighteen." Stiles commented.  
"Yep," Erica replied.  
"There are some things that are deeply wrong with that."  
Erica pulled the notebook off her netbook, "You know what, I could probably try to find the insurance report in my dad's inbox. He's keeps everything."  
Just as she began typing a stern secretary's voice sounded over the intercom, _**"Scott McCall, please report to the principal's office." **_ Anna gave him a weary look as he made his way there.

* * *

Jackson and Harris reentered the room as Anna and Stile stared down at the screen, "Hey, look at the dates." Stiles pointed out.  
Erica read aloud from the screen, "Passengers arrived at the hospital D.O.A the estimated time of death 9:26pm June 14th 1995."  
Stiles inhaled sharply, "Jackson's birthday's June 15th."  
Harris zipped up briefcase after quickly folding away papers and important notes. Anna retrieved her bag from under the table but was cut short by Harris's taunting voice, "Oh. No, I'm sorry," he laughed, "Um, yes, I'm leaving but none of you are. You may go when you're done with the re-shelving," he patted two steep cases of books, "Enjoy the rest of your evening."

* * *

"We have to talk to him," Scott said firmly after she and Stiles relayed the information given to them by Erica, "We have to tell him."  
"He's not gunna lis-" Alison began in protest but bit her lip when Scott was already making a move for Jackson.  
There was a crashing sound as something huge smashed into the top of the bookcase before chaos. Stiles grabbed her and Alison by the shoulders and shoved them to the ground as sparks cascaded down on them like lethal rain and plaster scattered across the floor. Books were knocked free from shelves and fell, one hitting Anna on the head. She howled in pain and rubbed the spot it had bruised. Someone near them made an almost inhuman noise.  
Growling elapsed most of the noise of the frizzed lights and Scott came to join the crouched trio as they watch Jackson wearily. He raised a finger to the board, chalk in hand. Jackson's head lolled to the side slightly, the reptilian eyes of the Kanima stared at her – blank and lifeless. She shuddered as she read the message scribbled across the chalkboard. _**"Stay out of my way or I'll kill all of you."**_ it read.  
The Kanima growled once before it perched onto all fours and shot through a window, shattering glass everywhere. Only the sound of Stiles panicked voice made her pry her eyes away from the blood-curdling threat, "Hey! Hey!" Stiles called, he pulled Erica into his arms, holding her firmly to his chest. She continued to wriggle beneath him, desperate movements of an uncontrollable body, "I think she's having a seizure."

Anna came over and instructed Stiles on how to keep her safe whilst he was holding her. It was too dangerous to put her down in the library, the destruction had caused a maze of hazards that Erica could hit her head on or hurt herself with. Anna stroked her blonde curls soothingly, "Shh.. shh… it's gunna be okay." She hadn't connected with Erica in a while – Erica had been angry at her for protecting Lydia and for a long time she'd been angry at Erica too but the girl took the hand Anna offered her and attempted to squeeze it although she was still fitting. "He's alive." Alison called from where she was with Matt. He'd been injured badly by Jackson, so the news was a relief.  
"We need to get her to a hospital-" Stiles began.  
"To D-Derek," Erica stammered, "To- to Derek. Onl-ly Derek."  
Scott peered at Alison through a gap in the bookcase, "When we get her to the hospital-"  
"To Derek," she muttered again, "Derek."  
Alison didn't dignify it with a response, "Go."  
"Hey! Scott!" Anna and Stiles both called at him as he moved towards Alison. Stiles wouldn't be able to carry her alone and Anna doubted she could help much. Still battered and bruised, she'd probably end up dropping her if her she put too much weight on one of Anna's collected bruises.  
Scott returned and Anna helped prop Erica into his arms. They carried her out of the library, forgetting about the minor detail of newly installed security cameras.

* * *

In the wreck of a small train car, Stiles let Erica's head gently drop into his lap as the Alpha of the Hale Pack stood over her, hovering with worry, "Is she going to die?" Stiles pressed. Boyd and Isaac stood at the entrance of the car, faces set with shared grim expressions.  
"She might," Derek admitted, "But this is gunna hurt." Derek pushed the sleeve to her jacket up to reveal the pale flesh of her arm. He took it in both hands and pushed. The arm snapped like a ruler under pressure. Erica screamed at the top of her lungs – the sound careering off the car like bullets. "You broke her arm!" Stiles exclaimed in shock.  
"It'll trigger the healing process." Derek shouted over the agonizing sounds. "But I gotta get the venom out. This is really gunna hurt." He twisted the flesh in opposite ways. It reminded Anna of the time Kyle had given her an Indian burn but Erica's must have been ten times more painful because blood seeped out from beneath Derek's fingers, splashing onto scraps of old newspaper. Erica howled but didn't fight him – she finally collapsed against Stiles. "Stiles," she breathed, "You make a good batman."

* * *

"Are you gunna be okay?" Isaac asked her gently as they pulled up in front of Anna's house. She'd looked pretty shaken by the day's events and Isaac had offered to drive her home when she'd almost keeled over coming down the steps of the train car. Luckily, Derek had seemed to wrapped up in his conversation with Scott to notice the two sneak away because Isaac knew his Alpha probably would have stopped him. Derek admitted human interaction was a necessary evil, after all, the human world offered food, water and shelter but one thing Derek didn't condone was relationships with humans. That much was clear from the way he reacted towards Scott and Alison's relationship on a daily basis.

Derek knew Isaac liked Anna but Derek doubted he knew to what extent. The last time Derek thought they had spoken was before he'd been tasked with killing Lydia. He didn't know about him sneaking off to speak with her after he'd pretty much kicked the crap out of her. He still felt ashamed every time he caught a glimpse of the purple outline. The make-up may have been able to fool the rest of the world but Isaac knew better.  
"I'll be fine," she lied. He knew she did because her heart kicked up over the word fine. It was a white lie everyone made every day somewhere in the world but this one seemed to have more depth, more impact. "Aside from murderous snakes and werewolves." She gave him a watery smile. There was a moment of silence when he didn't respond. She analyzed him for a second. The façade had fallen away, he knew. There was no more sexy confidence from him or aggressive backlash from her just too very exhausted, panicked, worried and pale people.  
"Do you want to come in?" she asked very slowly and calmly, gesturing to the seemingly empty house. All the lights were off and both cars had gone from the driveway. Nobody was home, "I could really use somebody right now."  
Her fingers entwined in his and she leaned forward, lips brushing his slightly at first in a conflicted way before she finally gave in and kissed him. He didn't pull away or mention how she was supposed to be being mad at him. He touched the side of her face experimentally at first then brought his hands up to wrap around the mess of curls.

And as usual it was over far to quickly.

She pulled in a sharp breath, "I…" she began, stumbling over her words, "I – god, I'm so frigid. I'm so sorry, I'm so _worthless_."  
"Don't say that," he cut off quickly, leaning closer, "You're not worthless. You're the most worthy person I know. You actually give a shit about people, even people who've hurt you badly. You're kind and loyal."  
She smiled slightly, "I'm not who you think I am."  
"Try me." He grinned at her.

* * *

Somehow Isaac ended up sitting on her couch in the living room. Anna set down to whiskey glass filled with ice onto the coffee table. This called for some _Baileys. _She brought the entire bottle, knowing she'd need it. "Won't your mum shout at you?" Isaac asked as she poured the viscous liquid into one of the glass and slid it across the table to her.  
"Nah," Anna replied calmly, "She's one of these save the earth environmentalists with no qualms about underage kids drinking alcohol as long as I force down one of her weird tofu casseroles every month, she's easy to appease."  
Isaac laughed and sipped at the glass. "Why did you want me to come in, Anna?"  
Anna took a long deep breath, Isaac just seemed to watch her, seeing her expression change from exhausted to hard, "Do you remember when you took me hiking after school that day?" he nodded wistfully, "And I – I told you my d-dad killed himself?" the subject was still raw for Anna. She'd only ever told what she was about to tell to four other people. Isaac nodded again, taking another swig of Baileys. "…T-that wasn't all."  
He leaned forward on the armchair, placing the glass down when he saw how much of a hard time she was having. He came to sit beside her on the couch and she leaned back onto him, listening to the steady rhythm of a heart beating too loudly and quickly to be completely human, "When my dad died – things… went to hell. My mom got lonely. She was struggling to pay rent so she married this guy, Paul. He was okay, they even had a kid together and he was pleasant enough…. Until he got drunk."  
Isaac listened to her intently. His head propped on her chin as she whispered to him. His hand found hers and she squeezed it roughly, "He was a mean drunk. He slapped my mom around. Really badly. He kicked her, smacked her. She was his own private punching bag. One day, I just couldn't take it anymore and I – I snapped. I shoved him away from her and he punched me. He threw me to the ground and kicked me, and-" her voice broke with emotion. Isaac pulled her to him more tightly, being able to relate to that kind of abuse. A tear flushed down his eyes. "You don't have to continue." He whispered into her ear.  
"I do," she insisted, "I don't want people thinking I'm okay all the time! I'm so far from okay!" she cried and suddenly, the banks burst and it all came pouring out in a multicolored mess of emotion, mascara and concealer mixing with salty tears. "-and so my mom took out this knife. Tried to threaten him with it. He managed to get the knife and c-cut me with it. I bit his hand and he dropped the knife. Then…. I s-stabbed him… and he- he died."

He used his thumb to rub small circles on the back of her hand as she sobbed onto him, "It wasn't your fault," he soothed, "It was self-defense."  
She bit her lip and in something barely above a whisper she answered, "She it was," she told him, "I had the chance to stop. The knife wasn't even in that deep. I could have pulled it out but- I didn't."  
She looked away in shame but Isaac tilted her chin so she had to look into his eyes. She didn't see shock or horror or disgust that she would have expected but instead tender understanding. He didn't say a word but his loving smile spoke volumes. He was so close now she could feel his breath on her face, warm and reassuring. She felt his lips move gently on her, barely a movement, "I'll stop if this isn't what you want. There are better people than me, I'm not worth it."  
"Isaac?" she said very softly.  
"Yeah?"  
"Shut up." Anna brought her lips to his for a moment and then moved slowly down his neckline, she pushed against his collarbone – the pulse of his neck until he fell back on the couch and then she ran a wanting finger down the length of his body.  
He laughed softly as he recognized her language and pulled his shirt off. She helped him struggle out of it before she did the same and kissed him again, dragging her tongue down the length of his chest. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked a little breathlessly, "Won't you're mom find out?"  
"She's terminally not at home anyway, I don't see how," Anna moaned softly as she toyed with his ear. He gasped and she smirked, "My brother won't car. Believe me – I've heard him and Simone," he laughed so ecstatically it seemed to turn into a giggle, "And my sister's easy to bribe. No one's home so they might be gone for a while – there's a note on the fridge saying they're all staying overnight in other places."

Isaac moved quickly, throwing her up it the air with a yelp only to land in his arms a moment later, she nuzzled him, "Show off." She muttered as he carried her upstairs.


	28. 9: Still Learning How To Love You

**This chapter was inspired by – Green River Ordinance – Learning**

_I could be the one you run to  
For the rest of your life  
I'm still learning how to love you  
You are the only one that's worth the fight_

* * *

Anna received a call in the middle of the night from her mother, explaining everything in a rush. Anna's great-grandmother and one of only a few surviving relatives had fallen ill and her mom had had to fly all the way up to Boston on short notice. Georgina was at a friend's house and Kyle was staying at Simone's – maybe permanently. Her mom and Kyle had got into a heated fight which had ended up in the senior storming out and driving to Simone's apartment on the other side of town. Anna allowed herself to feel worried for a moment until Isaac began moaning in his sleep and trying to tug her back into bed. She went outside her room to finish the call. Her mother apologized profusely, guilt dripping into her tone. She knew that she was away from home far too much. Anna wished her to get well soon before she hung up and climbed back into bed.

* * *

Isaac woke to Anna's digital alarm screaming at him. He turned over and read the time: 7:00. Time for school. "I'll be up in a second." Anna called from somewhere inside pillow heaven.  
"You know the rules," Isaac yawned into her ear, "You can't be late for school."  
Anna rolled over in bed and glared at him through one open eyelid. "Can't we just stay in bed?" she moaned, putting her arms around him and nibbling his ear, "You know you want to."  
"Ye-eah," he stammered, "Yes, I want to. But we can't." he swung his legs out of the bed begrudgingly and onto the hardwood floor. He grabbed his pants from the floor and pulled them on so not to shock any neighbors. Anna's flailed in bed as she tugged on his belt loops, trying to negotiate him back into her arms, "Come on, Anna. Wakey- wakey." Isaac went over to her windows and pulled the curtains open allowing golden light to stream in and fall onto her sleepy figure. She brought the covers up and over her head.  
"Piss off, sunlight," she groaned from underneath the heap of the duvet, "I hate you sometimes, you know that right?" she scrabbled from under the bed, pulling a blanket that was wrapped around her body. Anna ripped open a drawer and picked out some underwear, "No peaking." She instructed him.  
"No promises," he retorted with a grin as he went to collect his shirt from downstairs. She threw a pillow at him as he exited. Anna stumbled towards the shower, washing off the tell-tale evidence of what they had done last night. Isaac's musky smell still lingered on her sheets and hoodie though which was a comfort as she pulled on a pair of beaten jeans that were scuffed around the edges, a graphic t-shirt and the purple zip-up hoodie.

Their morning had fallen into a normal routine of Isaac slipping toast into the toaster and convincing Anna's coffee maker to do something that sounded like making coffee. She tripped downstairs and into the kitchen and the intoxicating smell of Anna filled his nostrils. Like strawberries and cream and chocolate all wrapped up in a cute, tall package. Because there was no way he could describe Anna as small, she reached his shoulder, which was an achievement for most girls.  
She reached into one of the cupboards. She craned her arm for the cereal at the top of the shelf but even she couldn't reach it. He watched her jump on her tippy toes for a moment before she gave up. Isaac gave up behind her, whispering sweet condolences into her ear as he grabbed the cereal from the top shelf, "Hey," she squealed, smacking him, "Save that language for after-dark."  
"Okay," he moaned regretfully and plunked into one of the kitchen tables.  
"What do you want for breakfast?" Anna yelled over the din of the coffeemaker, she pulled her hair back into a ponytail as she began preparing herself a bowl of lucky charms, "You can't just eat toast."  
"What's wrong with toast? It's got carbohydrates, slow-release energy." That was probably one of the only things he'd learned in science in middle school.  
"It's not _filling_," she empathized, "Now, come on, what cereal?"  
He rolled his eyes before making a request, "Froot loops."  
Anna pulled a face, "Froot loops? Ugh. You're as bad as my sister." She shoved the bowl almost violently across the table to him as he buttered the toast. There was a moment of usual silence as they ate before Anna cleared her throat, "So, what is the big bad Hale pack planning to do about Jackson?"  
He looked at her uncomprehendingly for a moment, "What's the small and good-hearted McCall pack planning on doing with Jackson?" Anna glared at him through narrowed eyes, "No one likes a smartass." She scowled.  
"And I'm not about to disclose vital pack information to the enemy." He said with a confident smirk. Her brows furrowed into an almost straight line.  
She tilted an eyebrow, "Enemy," she stood up abruptly and strutted over to him. She came up behind him and bent low so her breath brushed his ear, "That's not what you were saying last night when you were "unleashing the beast"."  
Isaac blushed and Anna giggled as she pushed her bowl into some soapy water. She couldn't be bothered doing the washing up, she'd share the job with Carly when she came to stay later tonight, "Well, whatever it is – don't go getting your dumbass killed." She meant to kiss him on the cheek but he grabbed her by the cheeks and pulled her mouth onto his. They stood for a moment in temporary bliss before Anna had to pull away, "I'm going to be late for school," Anna interjected, "And you're going to be late for Derek. And we both know what that means," Anna grimaced, pulling on her Converse and doing up the laces, "Now get gone. I'll see you later."  
She heard the familiar beep of the jeep outside and wanted to disappear before Stiles had a reason to come up to the house and check on her. She wasn't sure if she was ready to share her love life with Stiles yet, especially if he thought Isaac was still the enemy. "I love you." He called as she lingered in the doorway, the door only semi-open.  
"I…." she couldn't seem to find the words, "I love you, too." She scooted out from the doorway and slipped into the passenger seat beside Stiles.

* * *

"Hola." She said cheerfully as she climbed in beside Stiles. Mumford & Sons new record was playing on the radio and Anna turned it up when she recognized the song, even if she wasn't a huge Mumfords fan.  
He stared at her through narrowed eyes, "You're happy," he accused, "Suspiciously happy."  
She beamed at him, "Is that a bad thing?"  
Stiles started the jeep, "Let me guess," Stiles said thoughtfully, "Either you're mom switched from those freaky tofu casseroles – which I doubt – to proper food or somebody got lucky."  
Anna blushed at his indiscretion and bit the inside of her lip as she thought about the mind blowing night. Stiles tapped her head annoyingly, "Open book." She pushed him playfully back as they bumped along the road towards school. Stiles broke the silence abruptly sniffing the air. He pulled a face, "Something smells like wet-dog." It took a while for the realization to creep across his features and Anna prepared her nervous ears for being yelled at. Stiles sighed, slumping against in his seat, "You didn't, did you?"  
She rose an eyebrow, "Oh, I did," she replied honestly, a smile spreading across her face as she recounted the evening, "And it was hot! Oh my god, the things that boy can do with his tongue-"  
"Oh my god!" Stiles exclaimed, sickened, "Okay! Okay, I won't ask about it – just, shut the hell up, jeez!" Anna beamed at him triumphantly as the jeep rolled into the parking lot.

* * *

Scott was missing from her homeroom, she noticed as her and Stiles trotted in, actually on time, believe it or not. She shot him a questioning smile as she took her customary seat behind Carly. He mouthed two words at her: _rave tickets. _She nodded her understand back to answer her name on the register.  
School passed in a bit of a blur until Life Skills. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted Jackson exiting school. She stared at the blonde boy as he almost mechanically got into his car and drove away. "Today we have a special guest speaker, class," Miss. Cornish interrupted her thought track, making Anna turn to the front of the classroom, "Officer Charleston has come to speak to you all about the importance of reporting a crime and how it could benefit not just you but the community." Anna rolled her eyes, _here we go again, _she thought. She'd probably committed the most offences against the law than anyone in the room since Scott had been bitten and she was now sure she was probably a "person of interest" along with Derek and Isaac. She'd smashed a window at the police station, broken into the school, known about a cold case in detail and witnessed a murder plus used a gun she didn't have a license for. Yep, she was definitely on her way to becoming a convict.  
"Thank you all for your time," Officer Charleston told the class. He was a broad guy, tall – probably the same height as Isaac, around 6'1 or '2, Anna noted. He was handsome too, but not her type. She didn't currently know what her type was but if Isaac was anything to compare to it was probably the fair skin, fair eyes and hair and the wild side. She loved the wild side. Plus the whole, rebel-without-a-cause thing Isaac had going on with the side swept hair and strong features. Officer Charleston was your typical all-American guy with close cropped dark hair and mossy green eyes. He fixed the class with an icy stare although behind the false bravado he seemed a little nervous and tense. His hand lingered near his gun holster, as if ready to shoot any student that might randomly fly at him or something and he was fingering his identification badge that read **JOHNATHAN CHARLESTON.**

Carly and Stiles didn't seem fazed by him. They came into contact with loads of cops in their lives – including their fathers. The other students were too distracted to be really paying attention to him, whispering to each other and barely taking any notes. Anna was still living in the world of bliss ecstasy from last night. She was drunk on it and the way Isaac felt inside her was the only thing that controlled her thoughts. She couldn't wait to tell Carly when they got home. "So, have any of you ever – um – been a victim of a crime?" Officer Charleston was trying to look confident but failing miserably.  
A hand shot into the air. It was June, Anna's regular chemistry partner. She looked as neat and tidy as always, perfect blonde curls immobile on her shoulders unlike Anna's mess of wild waves pulled back into a messy ponytail, "Is it true someone else was murdered last night? My mom is a nurse at Beacon Hills hospital; she said a girl at the hospital had been suffocated after giving birth – maybe by the same killer."  
The class erupted into chatter at her audacity and bluntness. Officer Charleston shot a desperate look at Miss. Cornish who was lingering in the doorway, but the teacher seemed as if she wanted to know just as much as June, "Please?" the teacher asked, "My brother was killed by this felon. If you know anything-?"  
Officer Charleston was looking increasingly uncomfortable, "I'm not supposed to disclose details of any ongoing investigations."  
Another boy spoke up from the front, rudely blurting, "Did Isaac Lahey kill his father?"  
Theories flew around the classroom, Anna winced at each of them and Carly and Stiles shot her a sympathetic look.  
"I heard it was an animal."  
"No, Isaac's father was hitting him. It was definitely Isaac."  
"He deserved what he got."  
"Maybe it's the guy who's killing the other victims."

"It was a wolf," Anna turned at the sound of a voice she recognized. Alec Wild was slouched in his seat and gave Anna a smug look when she turned, "So they say." He added.  
"Was it?" June prompted, "A wolf."  
Anna tried for the best convincing eye roll she could master, which wasn't hard, "Don't be ridiculous," Anna snapped, fury making her voice tilt a notch higher than usual, "There haven't been wolves in California for over sixty years."  
Officer Charleston smothered his sigh of relief, "Exactly," he smiled appreciatively at Anna and his eyes thawed a little, "We currently believe Mr. Lahey's death was an isolated attack by an animal. Isaac Lahey is no longer a suspect. As for the other deaths, I'm not authorized to discuss details of ongoing investigations but if you witness anything that could help us with this case, it's important you report it."  
He was getting back on firm footing.  
"What about all the unexplained things that have happened this year," Alec prompted. Anna really wanted to punch him in the face as his determined voice continued, "What about that six-year old arson case? Wasn't the arsonist – Kate Argent – found inexplicably dead with her throat ripped out? And then there was that weird attack last week at that gay club, people said they saw some sort of "demonic creature" on the dance floor."  
"The arson case and the death of Kate Argent is now a closed case," he lied. The only reason Anna knew he was lying was because she had watched the person responsible, Peter Hale, die in front of her and Derek had promised to bury him somewhere the police would never find him, "and the attack at the Jungle dance club was due to hallucinogenic drugs that caused bizarre reactions in some users."  
Anna felt vague sympathy for Officer Charleston. He really was trying his best to explain something he couldn't truly understand, something too impossible for those that didn't know the truth. After class, Anna and Carly where about to escape to their lockers when Alec stopped them, "Hey, C-lee," he said. Anna hated that he used her friend's nickname, "Can I borrow Anna for a sec, I need to talk to her. Alone." Carly cast a suspicious glance between the two before nodding, "Sure thing," she turned to Anna, "I'll wait for you at the lockers then we can go to Track together."  
Anna nodded and followed Alec even though she felt as though she was being led into a trap. She hung back a little when they turned onto a particularly deserted corridor, "What?" Alec asked suddenly, "I don't bite. Unlike your boyfriend."  
Anna glared at him, stalking towards him and literally vibrating with anger, "Why is my love life any of your concern?"  
Alec shrugged, "It isn't," he replied nonchalantly, "but Derek's our concern. And you know most of the pack quite well."  
Anna raised an eyebrow at him, arms folded over her chest, "How did you know who I am?" Anna asked cautiously. She wasn't expecting a truthful answer, so she was surprised when she got one.  
"You're one of Scott's closest friends. Of course we know who you are." There was a moment of brief silence when Anna didn't really know what to say before Alec said softly, "We can get you away from them."

Then Anna knew exactly what to say.

She rolled her eyes, "Oh, not you, too. For the fiftieth time, werewolves aren't monsters," she said impatiently, "At least not all of them. Sure, they've made mistakes but they're my friends. My family."  
His face darkened, "You're not a wolf," he retorted. She didn't know if she'd even seen a face so full of twisted resentment, "Did they change you?"  
She scowled at him, "Of course not," she snapped, "Why do you hate them so much?"  
He looked away from her, "Werewolves killed my mom."  
Anna thawed a little, but that didn't mean she was swayed by their philosophy, "I'm sorry, Alec, but so what?" she snapped inconsiderately, she saw the pain flash in his eyes, pain she could understand herself but she was driven by the need to justify werewolves – even if they'd brought mainly misery to her life, "My dad killed himself with a gun that doesn't mean I want all gun-store owners dead."  
"It's not the same."  
Anna scowled, "Sure it is," she said, "What about Derek's family? He never came after you."  
Alec looked a little ashamed, "That's because he didn't know Kate was behind it," he said, "She – she isn't exactly the poster girl of our cause, you know."  
Anna tilted her head back slightly, "That's right," she remembered, "You have a code."  
"We hunt those who hunt us," he recited in English, "We don't go after the innocent."  
Anna gritted her teeth, "Then why start now?"  
"We haven't," Alec shot back, "You have to admit it, Anna. Like it or not, Derek's killed people and his pack have come close to doing the same."  
Anna remembered the night at Scott's house, trying to protect Lydia from the pack. It had left her bloodied and battered, bruises coating every inch of skin. She'd learnt her lesson then that werewolves were not to be messed with unless you were absolutely sure you knew what you were doing and were willing to get beaten down for your cause. Alec shook his head, "I told Chris Argent you wouldn't be interested in rehabilitation."  
Anna raised a confused eyebrow at him, "Rehab? From what? My friends?"  
"From all of this," he gestured vaguely in the air, which could have meant anything, "From werewolves. From this lifestyle. From late, long nights out; high-speed car chases, gun fights and wrestling matches, animal attacks, lying, strange monsters and being threatened."  
"Okay, first off: I happen to love late nights and car chases plus strange new monsters gives me research and actually a chance to tell my mom I'm doing something productive and two, lurking around in the dead of night shooting innocent teenagers in your commando outfits is much better?"  
Alec flounced, "Annabella, it's not like that."  
"It's Anna," she corrected, feeling her hands curl into fists, "And you tried to kill my best friends and my boyfriend," – it felt weird calling Isaac that, but they had had sex now and she'd probably have to get used to using the term in the future – "so excuse me if I'm not all too eager to know the secret password."  
Alec pushed off from a wall he'd been leaning against while staring at her with frustrated eyes, "You should be going on dates with normal boys and hanging out at the mall not cruising around town in that beaten up jeep looking for strays and fighting murderous walking snakes."  
Anna shrugged and pulled a disinterested face, "The mall sucks. It's for preppy kids who have nothing better to do. I do. I'm protecting people."  
"I can help you."  
"Like you helped Scott? No thanks."  
"You could get away from all this, you have a choice. You can have a normal life, it's not too late."  
Anna chocked on a laugh, "Hello? Have you met my mom?" she scoffed and then gave Alec a tight sarcastic smile, "Normal was never an option in my family. You could leave the hunters. We could help to stop you from killing people with a medical condition you don't understand."  
Alec looked exhausted, "It's not like that Anna."  
"It's called the lycanthropic _infection,_" Anna prompted, "It's a disease, something uncureabe that can be managed, therefore a condition. It is _so_ like that," Alec looked uneasy for a moment, "What did you want from me, Alec?"  
"We could use someone like me," he said suddenly as if it was something exciting, like he was telling her she'd won free tickets to Disneyland, "That's what I wanted to tell you, we all did," he handed her a small business card with the Victoria, Chris and Gerard Argents private numbers, "There's so much they can show you Anna, so much they can teach you. You already have extensive inside knowledge and all the instinct for it, even I can see that and I'm just a rookie."  
Even the thought made her shiver, "No," she snarled, "I'm not a traitor. I don't sell out the people I love and you can't buy my loyalty. I never want to be one of you."  
"I wonder whether you'd say the same thing to Derek if he ever asked you," Alec shook his head. She felt like telling him about the time Derek had offered her a chance to become a part of his pack and she'd declined him too, albeit it in a more polite fashion. "The offer still stands and if you don't wanna call the Argents, you can always talk to me. Carly has my number." She was spared further conversation by the crush of students eager to leave the school for clubs or the mall or to go home. Anna drifted away until she was almost near the corridor that held her locker. As she passed a bin, she spat on the business card and tossed it in the trash, where it belonged.


	29. 10: You'll Never Be Alone

**This Chapter was inspired by – Skillet – Whispers in the Dark **

_No,  
You'll never be alone  
When darkness comes I'll light the night with stars  
Hear the whispers in the dark._

* * *

Anna enjoyed track that day. She got changed in a hurry and was happy just to splash through puddle and get as filthy as possible with Carly, which turned into an all-out water fight. The two girls arrived back the latest, giggling as they passed Coach Remington. She did not comment on their pitiful time so she must have been in a good mood.  
Anna and Carly got a ride home from Stiles who had promised to linger close by to pick them up seeing as Carly didn't have a car and Anna's mom was in Boston for an indefinite amount of time leaving Anna and Georgina alone in the house if Kyle was still sulking over his fight with their mother. Even Anna agreed she could be a bit of a nightmare to live with, when she was actually at home of course, which was rare. At least when Carly was gone they didn't have to worry about being secretive when discussing all things werewolf.  
"Stiles, what does your dad think about the murders?" Carly asked him and she leaned forward in her seat. There was an uneasy silence between the three of them, mainly because Carly knew nothing of werewolves. It had put a fracture in their once easy friendship. Back before everything with the Alpha and Scott, Carly had hung out at her house almost every day – a wordless agreement they had going. But since Scott was bitten and Anna had sort of left Carly and Erica (until she became a part of Derek's pack) out of things it had left a somewhat prominent tension between herself, Carly, Stiles and Scott. Sometimes she noticed Carly's loneliness at being left out of the group and felt incredibly guilty but there was nothing she could do. Too many people already knew. It would just be selfish to put her life in danger just so she could have someone to share the burden with her.  
"My dad isn't any further and he won't tell me anything," the lie came a little too fluently to Stiles's lips. Anna tried not to give everything away by gawping at him.  
"It's weird," Carly said eventually, "There were the murderers a couple of months ago and now it's started up again. I remember when Beacon Hills was such a peaceful little town, hardly ever got noticed now it seems to news mongrels can't get enough," she shook her head sadly, "It puts honest journalists like me to shame."  
"Believe me," Stiles said more to himself, "I know."

* * *

Stiles dropped them off at her house and Anna waved to him as Carly retrieved her dirty track uniform and overnight stuff off the seats. She gave Stiles an appreciative smile before he drove away.  
Anna shuffled up the porch and unlocked the door, flinging the trees into the customary ashtray after locking it behind her. She dumped her and Carly's track uniform next to the washer to remind Anna she needed to do that by Friday. She pulled a box of Pringles and some dip from the cupboard before retreating upstairs to her room. Whilst Carly was using the bathroom, Anna kicked off her Converse and stumbled towards her drawers to take out her earrings. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted a piece of paper amidst all the junk on her dresser. She pulled it free and read it aloud.

_I'm sorry I couldn't be here to give this to you, I forgot you had track. I hope Derek lets me see you soon or I might go crazy. Hope yhr gr8 g-ma is okay. _

_Love you._

_~Isaac._

Her chest constricted. Anna hugged the note to her chest as if somehow Isaac would reach through it and would hug her back. She missed him a lot, too and he'd only been eating breakfast with him this morning. But they both needed to focus on Jackson right now. The Kanima had to be stopped before more people died, even if they weren't completely innocent and Jackson needed to be saved. She never knew she'd be able to feel sorry for Jackson the way she did now. He'd bullied her throughout middle school, terrorized her friends and was just a raging jerk but she couldn't help the pang of sympathy and knew she needed to save him.  
"Aw." The voice from the doorway made her flinch; it was Carly beaming at her with a knowing grin.  
"How long have you been standing there?" Anna demanded. She didn't drop the note, if anything she held it possessively closer.  
"Long enough," Carly smiled, "I take it all back. I love Isaac now! He's so sweet!"  
Anna growled at her, "Hey, I have dibs. He's my boyfriend."  
Carly's mouth dropped to the floor, "_Boyfriend?!"_ she pointed at the double bed in the center of the room, "Talk. Now."  
Anna spent the next ten minutes begrudgingly sharing the Pringle tube and recounting the evolution of their relationship minus the tiny details of him scratching her, kidnapping and drugging her, beating the shit out of her and so on. She bit her lip before telling Carly about last night.  
Carly smacked her repeatedly, "You ass!" she moaned, "You lost your virginity and you didn't think to tell me about it immediately?"  
Anna shrugged as if it was a mediocre topic, "I was too busy having breakfast with him."  
"Breakfast?" Carly whispered dramatically. She stage-fainted before continuing, "From now on, you tell me everything immediately. Does Stiles know?"  
Anna blushed, the redness in her cheeks displaying her honesty, "You told Stiles before me?"  
"I didn't tell him," She pointed out, "He guessed and plus, he's my ride to school. Of course he would be the first to find out."  
Carly looked thoughtful and dreamy for a moment, "That was some kiss in Chemistry yesterday," she said, "I wish I had a boyfriend like Isaac."  
"He has friends," Anna reminded her, "Hot friends." Because she couldn't really deny that.  
Carly laughed, "Who, Scott? He's been our friend since elementary school and totally into Alison and Stiles is a goof-ball and sweet but so not my type."  
"Boyd?" Anna suggested.  
Carly rolled her eyes, "I thought he had the hots for Erica, last time I checked," she looked almost mournful when she spoke again, "But how would I know. She hasn't spoken to me since her last seizure."  
Anna put a supportive hand on Carly's, her olive skin tone contrasting against Carly's chocolate one, "I talked to her, she wants to make up with you C-lee," Anna told her, "She's just waiting for you to make the first move. She thinks you're still mad at her."  
Carly scowled, "Don't be ridiculous. I can never stay mad at you guys." She shoved Anna playfully, "And I totally love Isaac now. He makes you happy, and that's what matters. Maybe you could invite him round so I can speak to him sometime. I'd liked to get to know my best friend's soulmate."  
The use of the word soulmate made Anna inhale sharply but she covered it with a laugh, "I'd like that, C-lee, I'd like that a lot," Anna changed to subject back to their previous conversation, "What's up with you and the new guy?"  
Carly shot her a questioning frown, "What do you mean?"  
"Derek Hale," Anna prompted, "Last time we spoke you were starry-eyes over him." Anna didn't really know what to think of this. On one hand, it could just be a little crush. Derek was a hot guy – and probably had loads of girls wanting him but crushes always seemed to turn into something much more strong and passionate in Anna's experience.  
"Nothing," she blushed and Anna giggled at her, she threw a cushion at Anna, laughing too, "Okay, so he's hot and brooding and mysterious and pretty much every time I see him I lose the will to breathe but I've never properly met him."  
"I could introduce you if you like," the words tumbled out before Anna could stop them. She didn't know how well that would go, or even if Derek would want to meet Carly in the first place. Derek didn't do human contact unless completely necessary like in herself and Stiles's case.  
"Oh no, no," Carly smoothed over luckily, "I wouldn't put you out like that. I'll just admire from afar and hope one day he speaks to me."  
Anna nodded, unsure how to respond to her final statement. Luckily, she didn't have to because the chiming of the doorbell followed by very loud elementary school children sounded outside interrupted their conversation. Carly grimaced, "The evil has returned." She jumped off the bed with Anna and followed her downstairs to the front door. Anna swung it open and greeted a haggard looking Mrs. Lloyd warmly.  
"Hello, Anna," the older woman said as Georgina ducked into the house under Anna's arm, she moved past Carly as if she was a piece of furniture, "I heard about your great-grandmother. I hope she gets well soon."

Anna nodded considerately as Mrs. Lloyd began to turn away, "Thank you," she called as she closed a door. Anna rounded on Georgina in the kitchen, "Hey kiddo."  
"Hey," Georgina replied absentmindedly as she pulled trotted up to her room.  
"Pizza for dinner, that okay?" Anna yelled before the blonde could fully disappear. Georgina just nodded at her, a deflated look on her face.  
Carly winced, "Family problems?"  
"I think it's mom," Anna admitted as she rotted in the fridge for pizza. She pulled out a peperoni one for her and Carly and a vegemite for Carly, "She's barely here anymore. We're practically raising ourselves." The fact that the topic had been brought up only amplified her mother's constant absence. She kind of understood but it didn't mean she had to like it. Most of her friends' parents worked too, but they always found time for their kids. Her mom on the other hand was yet to discover the bruises or work out that Anna kept sneaking out late almost every day… oh, and the small fact she'd had sex with a werewolf.  
"At least you can leave when you're eighteen, like Kyle has," Carly added quietly. Anna placed the pizzas in the oven but didn't respond. Talk of the future still unnerved her. It shouldn't have, she would be graduating in less than two years but it still made her feel sick to her stomach, mainly because she had no idea what she was going to do when she left school. Carly had everything planned out, she was going to go to college and become a journalist. Anna on the other hand, doubted if she was going to survive long enough to get to college.

Anna and Carly had always plotted to blow town as soon as they were old enough for some other city, state or even country. Anna had always liked the idea of London whereas Carly aimed to get to New York and have a job at _the New York Enquirer_. Now, Anna didn't know whether she'd ever be able to leave her home town. Beacon Hills had grown on her in the past few months and now she had attachments, things she had to stay for like Isaac.

It all came back to Isaac.

"Yeah," Anna said vaguely as she shuffled aimlessly around the kitchen. If Carly knew the truth, they probably wouldn't be discussing this. Alas, Anna was alone.

* * *

That night, Anna lay awake in bed, unable to sleep. She switched to the other end so her feet were up against the pillow and she could watch the night sky through her window. A thousand glittering stars punched holes in her conscious as she turned restlessly black waves of hair knotting. Carly was firmly asleep beside her, snoring softly and just feet away in her sister's room all was silent. She was unable to get her brain to shut up and let her sleep and she knew she would suffer for it in the morning. All she wanted was the Kanima gone so life could fall back into balance – well, apart from the werewolves but she could work with that. Soon, she would become a junior and with the days to graduation creeping ever closer she just wanted to escape.

She thumbed the notes Isaac had left for her, her heart aching with a strange loneliness. Her best friend slept beside her, a constant reminder of a strong friendship yet still she felt incomplete without him. She studied his sloppy hand writing and it made her smile for some reason. She blinked back a tear and continued to watch the sky. Anna had a theory that all her unexplained behavior – the enhanced healing, senses and strength was all due to some of the powers being transmitted to her through scratches.  
In silent acknowledgement there was more to her senses than she let on, she gave into them and they became sharp, efficient. Dimly, she now heard faint sounds of animals moving outside her house in the undergrowth that had previously gone unnoticed. The breeze that leaked through her open window sent her stacks of information that brought out memories in her head – this scent meant squirrel, that scent meant grass. It also brought her imaginary maps of which animals had crossed where and how long ago. The stars seemed brighter, the dark outline of shapes in her room more predominant.

She fell asleep to the sound of Tybalt's noisy purring, Carly and Georgina's soft snores and the incredibly distant and mournful sound of wolves howling.

* * *

The next morning, Kyle picked the three of them up and dropped them off at their separate schools. After he'd given Georgina a ride to Beacon Hills Elementary, Anna began prying about the fight, "I hear you're not coming back." Anna asked tentatively as the Tempo rattled into the school's parking lot.  
Kyle sighed as he switched the engine to neutral, "I don't know," he bumped his fist lightly against the steering wheel, "Could you just – drop it, for now?"  
Hesitantly, Anna nodded and climbed out of the Tempo. She must have looked depressed because Carly smiled at her and put an arm around her delicate shoulders, "Give him space," said Carly, "He'll open up in time."  
Anna just shrugged and made her way into the school. She had a feeling it was going to be a long day.

* * *

Luckily, her feeling didn't last long and soon the day was over. Carly said goodbye and told her to be ready for nine o'clock when she was coming to pick her up for the rave. Anna trudged towards the beaten jeep and slid into the backseat, greeting Scott and Stiles. They both gave her a stern look. "What?" she asked cautiously, "Is something wrong?"  
"Did you see Isaac last night?" Scott demanded. Stiles slouched guilty in the seat beside him as he started the engine.  
Anna shot him an implausible look, "It's fine Stiles, you know, just blurt my love life to everyone."  
"Anna," Scott said to get her attention. She looked back at him and saw disappointment dancing in his eyes, "This is serious. You can't see Isaac, he's dangerous."  
"Alison's dangerous," Anna shot back feeling more than a little aggrieved, "You still see her."  
"It's not the same-"  
"Why does everyone keep saying that?" Anna suddenly screamed at them, her outburst took Scott and Stiles by surprise and they edged back in their seats but she couldn't seem to calm down, "It's exactly the same! He is fine! And it's none of your business anyway!"  
"Anna, you're like a sister to me," Scott said gently, "I'm only saying this because I don't want you to get hurt."  
Stiles scowled, "And did you forget the part when him and his little pack tried to kill Lydia-"  
"Shut up, Stiles!" she yelled, anger making her voice cracked. She'd rarely been this angry at someone and never at Stiles. He looked hurt, "Just – all of you shut up! Ah!" she felt pain contort her leg and neck, where the scars where. It was like the worst form of cramp. She clamped her eyes shut, screaming in pain. The jeep juddered to a halt.  
When Anna opened her eyes again, both of them were staring at her with a mixed reaction of shock and terror, "You're eyes." Stiles whispered. She looked at herself in the driver's mirror and amber reflected back at her – burning from her irises. Then they flickered away.  
"Did you let Derek bite you?" Scott asked immediately, checking her bare arms for bite marks.  
"No," she pulled away biting her lip, "No. It's not that. This kind of thing happens during the full moon a lot. I think it's from the scratches."  
Scott turned around bodily in his seat, "What scratches?"  
Anna looked at Stiles as realization found him, "Do you remember when Anna was attacked at the school by Peter?" - Scott nodded - "He left some scratches. Then Isaac put some more on her, remember? Anna's been able to do things recently. See, hear and smell things impossible for a human being, enhanced strength, ect."  
Scott regarded them for a moment, eyes lingering on Anna as if analyzing her, "And you think it's the scratches?"  
"It doesn't happen all the time," Anna insisted, "Just after I got them and again during, up to and after full moons."  
"I'll talk to Derek," Scott promised, "See if he's ever heard anything about this."  
Anna nodded promptly, hurrying to change the subject, "So, where are we going?" she pointed out the car window to the intersection they'd turned into, "Because that's not the way to my house."  
"We're going to see Dr. Deaton," Scott explained, "He's showing us a way to catch Jackson and his master without killing him. We're doing it tonight at this party."  
"Party?" Anna prickled uncomfortably, "You mean like the rave that me and Carly are going to?"  
Stiles frowned, "You're going?"  
"Well that's perfect!" Scott suddenly interjected, "You can keep an eye on Jackson, make sure he doesn't kill anybody."  
Anna rolled her eyes and shoved him playfully, "Oh. Thanks, guys."

* * *

Anna stepped in with Scott and Stiles in toe and the bell jingled. A tired looking Dr. Deaton staggered into the waiting room, "Hello, Anna." He greeted with a warm smile, he inclined his head in the direction of her friends, "Boys," he gave each of them an even look, "Are you ready?"  
Anna gave him a wary look, "You know?" she asked with increasing uncertainty. Not everyone who knew about werewolves had the best of intensions at heart.  
He nodded and motioned the three of them towards a door in the back room, "I have. For quite some time now, too. I also know that some of the abilities of the wolf have been transmitted to you somehow. Now: Scott, Stiles have you told her your plan yet?"  
They both nodded and Dr. Deaton led them through to what looked like an examination room. It stunk of lemon polish and that hospital smell Anna now despised ever since encountering Peter Hale for the first time. She shuddered and tuned out her hyper-sensitive nose. "How did you know?" Anna prompted the vet, "That I some powers?"  
"When someone becomes a werewolf, or takes on some of the werewolves abilities through a scratch or some other injury, it not only gains the abilities but also the attributes of a wolf as well as facial expressions and body language," Deaton explained as he rooted through his draws, "I noticed when you came in you were weary of me because you've never met me so you turned sideways and smiled a lot – or, showed me your teeth. That's what a wolf does when it feel threatened," he shot her a knowing, "You coming here at all shows me your loyal, brave and intelligent – all attributes you share with a wolf. For the most part, you manage to stay composed under pressure and works as a team – even forming uneasy alliances," Anna let her mouth fall open. Deaton was basically reciting her entire existence since the Alpha attacked her at the school. It was kind of unnerving but at the same time reassuring, "Ah. Here it is." Deaton held up a small vial for them all to see.

"Ketamine?" Scott asked as Deaton revealed a syringe.  
"It's the same stuff we use on the dogs, just a higher dosage," Deaton explained, placing both the vial onto a small table in the center of the room, "If you can get close enough to Jackson it should slow him down enough to buy you some time," Scott reached forward, taking the syringe in one hand and the Ketamine in the other, "This," Deaton said, gesturing to a tub of some sort of black powder with a strange symbol on the jar that looked sort of like a sideways T to Anna, "Is some of what you'll use to create the barrier. This part is for you, Stiles, only you."  
"Ah, sounds like a lot of pressure," Stiles said taking the jar with the black substance off the table it had just been placed on, "Could you maybe find a slightly less pressured filled task for me?"  
Scott raised an eyebrow at him as Deaton continued, ignoring Stiles's previous comment, "It's from the Mountain Ash tree. Which is believed by many cultures to protect against the supernatural. This office is lined with ash wood," he said, gesturing to the walls around them, "Making it difficult for someone like Scott to cause me any trouble."  
"So, what?" Stiles inquired, "I just spread this around the whole and then either Jackson or who ever's controlling him can't cross it."  
Deaton inclined his head, "They'll be trapped."  
"Doesn't sound too hard." Anna finally said. Deaton interrupted her, "That's not all there is. Think of it like gunpowder, it's just powder until a spark ignites it. You need to be that spark Stiles."  
"If you mean light myself one fire I don't think I'm up for that." Scott looked genuinely concerned.  
Anna rolled her eyes, "Not that kind of spark, genius."  
"Let's try a different analogy," Deaton mumbled, "I used to golf. I learned the best golfers never swing before imaging where they want the ball to go. They see it in their mind and their mind takes over. It can be pretty extraordinary what the force of your own will can accomplish."  
Stiles nodded, "Force of will."  
"Hey," Deaton said, getting Stiles's attention, "If this is going to work Stiles, you have to believe it."  
Everyone stared at Stiles as he nodded slightly.

* * *

Alec took the gun steadily in his hands from Argent, "You okay, kid?" Chris asked, more like a concerned parent than his employer. Alec nodded, though he wasn't. The metal felt uncomfortable and bulky in his hands. He didn't like this plan, it had far too many holes and he sensed Alison didn't like it either. He glanced down at her from the side of the staircase he was leaning against. Victoria – Alison's mom – had been trying to get them alone together at every opportunity. I think she desperately wanted them to like each other so Alison would forget about Scott. But as much as Alison loved Scott, Alec couldn't picture himself being with anyone else but the girl he'd danced with at the winter formal – the girl he'd been trying to get alone ever since. Carly Hamilton.  
"Alright," Chris barked, snapping him to attention, "The party's in a warehouse just inside an industrial sector. Alison learned Jackson Whittemore will be there seeking his next target in the crowd. Seen as we still have little clue as to just how strong he is, we need to be extremely cautious. When Alison has Jackson's location and has determined him to be at the optimum form when we can take him down, she'll signal me. Optimum meaning as far away from the crowd as possible," Alec swayed uneasily on his feet at Argent gruff voice, "There will be no collateral damage tonight," Chris looked back to Alison, "Go ahead." He muttered.  
Alec watched her leave. He still felt totally uneasy about this. He remembered Anna's stricken face as she'd tried to justify herself and Isaac and knew that he was betraying her trust, like he had the last time.  
"A willing a participant as she seems," Gerard commented dryly from where he stood, "Your young protégé there also appears to be under the impression that we are planning a trap." Alec's mouthed dropped slightly. He'd thought that, too. Chris shot his a discrete look as he loaded his gun. Alec understood the message, keep his mouth shut. Gerard wasn't exactly the best confidante.  
"She doesn't need to know any more than that." Alec's mind raced. He had to warn Anna, stop this. Sure, he had made mistakes but he thought they were going to find a way to save Jackson – even if he was a murderer, he didn't condone taking him down if the real Jackson didn't know what he was doing. Anna had been right. He needed to leave the hunters.  
"For the rest of us then, let's be perfectly clear," Gerard said, casting a glance in Alec's direction, "You don't trap a creature this dangerous," he chastised, pulling out a switch blade with a metallic clang, "You kill it."


	30. 11: You Found Me

**This Chapter was inspired by - The Fray - You Found Me**

_"Lost and insecure_  
_ You found me, you found me."_

* * *

Anna watched as Carly trotted up the driveway towards her. She driven to Anna's house in her dad's car and she strutted up the porch; she noticed just how sexy Carly looked in her outfit. She was wearing a skimpy halter top and tight, fluorescent yellow shorts with matching Vans. "How did your dad not stop you at the door?" Anna pressed, jaw slack as she stared at her friend.  
Carly eyes gleamed with a defiant edge as she shrugged, "He doesn't know." Anna glanced down at her own outfit and hoped it lived up. She was wearing bright pink UFO pants and a batwing t-shirt. Anna didn't particularly like being at the center of attention and at least now she didn't have to worry about her boobs popping out.  
Anna strode towards the car and pulled open the passenger door, climbing in, "Do you know where it is?"  
"Yes," Carly replied after a hesitant moment, "Don't doubt me, I know what I'm doing."  
Anna rolled her eyes at her friends as they cruised around town, "Suuuuuuuure."

* * *

Outside of a warehouse on the very outskirts of the industrial district of town, Carly's father's Ford pulled into the parking lot. Anna got out, her hand shaking with nerves. She had nothing to feel nervous about – she was here to have a good time with her friend. But the plan Scott and Stiles had concocted nibbled at the back of her mind, making her feel nervous. No doubt Derek's pack would show up to ensure Jackson was trapped. The thought of Isaac here with another girl – even if it was one of her best friends and they were strictly pack-mates – shot pangs of envy through her. She forced herself to clear her mind before they entered the rave.  
She was met by strobe lights and glow sticks almost blinding her sensitive eyes. she threw her hand up out of instinct and waited for her unprepared vision to adjust. When it finally did, Carly was already at a stand, buying water and glow sticks. Anna took the opportunity to escape and try to find Jackson. She pushed her way through the crowds, not particularly paying attention to where she was going until she hit something hard.  
A guy in a leather jacket stared at her and then broke into a smile when he recognized her, "Oh, hey Anna."  
She smiled back politely although she was only half paying attention to him. She had thought she'd spotted Jackson in the crowd but couldn't be sure, "Hey Matt," she said, "I thought you were here with Alison?" she asked looking around for the girl.  
"I am," he said a little defensively. He added a laugh to make it sound more light-hearted, "I mean, she's here. Somewhere."  
"Okay, well, I got to go. I hope you have a goodnight." She squeezed past him and dimly heard him shout goodbye back to her before she began moving towards the place she had thought she'd seen Jackson.  
Someone grabbed her by the arm. She swirled abruptly only for someone to plant a kiss on her lips. Her eyes flew open but she still couldn't make out who it was until their tongue made a trail to her ear, "Hey." The voice drawled.  
She slapped him. Hard, "Isaac!" she yelled at him, "You scared the hell out of me!"  
"Wouldn't be the first time," he said calmly. Then his face darkened, "What are you doing here Anna?" he still had his hand wrapped around her arm. She looked down at his hand but he didn't let go.  
"I'm here with Carly," she said very slowly, "Also keeping an eye on Jackson. Though failing. Miserably."  
His voice was harsh when he spoke again, his eyes troubled, "Stay away from Jackson," Isaac told her firmly, "He could hurt you."  
"He could hurt _you,_" she pointed out, "Stop trying to baby me. I'm helping whether you like it or not."  
Isaac pulled her forward and she stumbled up against him. He let out an amused laugh before kissing her again, enough to take her breath away when he finally leaned back, hand still lingering in her hair and on the small of her back, "Don't be an idiot," he growled softly into her ear, sending a shiver running along the length of her body and ruffling the baby hairs there, "You're gunna get yourself killed."  
She looked into his ocean blue eyes for a moment, as the music pulsed around them and people jumped around with ecstasy, and seemed to drown. "Let me go." She demanded finally.  
He didn't drop her, "Stay with your friend." He instructed her as he led her across the dancefloor and towards Carly who was looking for her frantically.  
"Let me go, Isaac!" she yelled over the din of the music, "This isn't fair!"  
"Keeping you alive isn't fair?" he snapped suddenly, "You're human and fragile. Just stay out of the way."  
And then he just left. "There you are," Carly sighed, relieved, "Come on, let's go dance." Anna didn't want to dance. She wanted to find that boy and slap him. Or kiss him.

Both.

She also wanted to find Scott and ask him about the plan and keep an eye on Jackson. Everything seemed to be crumbling. Begrudgingly, she let Carly lead her into the center of the dancefloor and soon they were laughing and speaking to other people and dancing with others. Carly found her people, the Kandi kids (yes, Carly had gone through a kandi faze and had all the homemade beaded bracelets, necklaces and other accessories to prove it) and had soon disappeared amongst them. Buying Anna some time to try and relocate Jackson.

She was stopped abruptly by someone again.

"What?" she snapped indecisively again. It was Alec who stood before her this time. She was angry at him for stopping her but he looked pale and worried and kept fingering his clothes.  
"It's the Argents. They're going after Jackson. They're going to kill him."  
Anna's mouth dropped open, unable to comprehend, "What?" she finally blurted, more to herself, "I- I have to warn Isaac. The plan…we- we had a plan… it's not going to work. Isaac. Isaac!" she turned away from Alec and briefly heard him calling her name but ignored it. She was so pissed at him she couldn't bear to look at him for a moment longer.

* * *

She pushed her way through the dance floor, allowing her senses to take over. She could smell members of the pack now, knew they were close. It was exactly a specific scent she had tuned into, more of a linger smell in the air. Like after you eat a curry and the smell still sticks around even though you've washed up and threw the wrapping in the trash.  
Her hearing was almost ineffective over the noise, but she could hear bits and pieces. The small popping sound of gunfire outside followed by growls, the drumming of her own heart as she made her way forward. She spotted three figures dancing and the scent increased. She lingered for a moment, just watching. Anna caught a glimpse of Jackson's face and knew they were coaxing him but couldn't fight a fit of jealousy at their strange erotic dance.

Then something happened. Erica and Isaac's heads snapped back, their faces contorted in silent pain and they fell, Isaac first and then Erica crashed onto him. They lay in a heap for a moment as Anna began to try and reach them but was jostled by the unknowing crowd. Isaac reached for something but it was kicked across the warehouse floor, coming to rest at Anna's feet. She picked up the syringe and yelled, "Isaac!" before tossing it at him. He caught it but fixed her with a furious glare. She yelped a little as she took off after them.

* * *

Anna caught up with them a little later. She felt bad for ditching Carly, but Anna would have probably just been a buzz-kill anyway and Carly had seemed fine with those Kandi kids when she'd left her. Jackson was slumped in a chair, lifeless and still. A moment after Anna had entered someone grabbed her by the arm and pinned her up against the wall of the smaller warehouse, "What did I tell you?" Isaac demanded, "I told you to stay out of this!"  
"Let her go, Isaac!" Erica yelled at him, coming between them and tugging his arm off her shirt.  
"No!" She screamed back at him through gritted teeth, "You don't own me. I'm helping my friends! Whether you like it or not!" she pushed him away and he stumbled slightly. The door opened again and the wolves swirled menacingly towards the door, "It's me! It's me!" a familiar voice called, Stiles came to stand between Erica and Anna, "Is he okay?"  
"Well," Isaac drawled, "Let's find out." He flicked his hand and claws extended were fingernails had once been. He raised his hand and Anna suffocated the urge to stop him. Now was not the time to act like an overprotective girlfriend. He brought his fist down and Isaac caught it in a rapid movement. Anna cursed as his arm was twisted violently, the sound of bones snapping the longer Jackson held him.  
Isaac pulled away, groaning with pain, "And that's why you need us." Anna said smugly.  
"Okay, no one does anything like that again, okay?" said Stiles, ignoring Anna's previous comment. Erica nodded, fear dancing across her features. Isaac was cradling his broken arm, pushing bone back together with a sickening snap.  
"I thought the ketamine was supposed to put him out," Isaac puffed, trying to work his way through the agony. Anna laid a delicate hand on his shoulder, and felt him shiver beneath her touch. It was nice to know she gave him the same feeling he gave her.  
"Well, apparently this is all we're gunna get," Stiles commented, "So let's just hope whoever's controlling him decided to show up tonight."  
"I'm here," Anna turned to the source of the strange, almost demonic voice, "I'm right here with you."  
Stiles moved towards him hesitantly and again Anna had to fight the urge to play parent. "Jackson is that you?"  
"Us," Jackson corrected a blank look in his eyes, "We're all here." Stiles turned briefly to look at the three of them. They just stared at Jackson in shock, "Are you the one killing people?"  
"We're the ones killing murderers," Jackson said.  
"So all the people you killed so far-"  
"-Deserved it."  
Stiles looked bleak, "You see, we got a little rule book, that says you only go after murderers."  
"Anything can break if enough pressures applied." Jackson replied.  
"So the people you're killing are all murderers, then."  
"All. Every. One."  
Stiles cocked an eyebrow, "Well, who did they murder?"  
"Me."  
Anna's eyes narrowed. What he was saying was impossible.  
Stiles frowned, "Wait, what? What did you mean?"  
"They murdered me."  
Anna felt a slight pressure on her arm, pulling her away. Stiles turned to watch them slink backwards. The Kanima's eyes turned snake-like and dead, "They murdered me."  
Stiles backpedaled and soon the four of them were almost pressed up against the walls of the warehouse. Jackson's hand slid across his jeans, revealing claws that looked more like small knives than nails. "Right, ketamine, the man needs more ketamine, come on."  
Isaac held up an empty vial, "We don't have anymore."  
Stiles looked exasperated, "You used the whole bottle?" Jackson stood up from his chair and screeched at them, it was like white-noise to Anna's ears and she screamed as his head contorted violently.  
"Out, out, everybody out!" Anna didn't need to be told twice. She grabbed Erica's hand and pulled her through the doorway. The four of them shoved their body weight up against the door.  
"Get something to roll in front of it." There was no need because a moment later, the Kanima leapt through the side of the warehouse, smashing through the steel wall as if it was made of glass. Anna could only stare in shock.

* * *

The four of them took off, gliding back through the dance floor and out of the exit. Anna felt like trying to find Carly but quickly dispelled the idea. The last thing they needed was someone else getting in the way. Anna didn't see Jackson – or the Kanima – in the club, which she guessed was a relief.  
Anna and Stiles stepped over the barrier as Derek came sprinting to join them, "Yeah – ugh – so we kind of lost Jackson inside but - "  
"What?" Derek snapped. Erica and Isaac emerged but seemed to slow because of something. They glanced down at the ebony barrier of ash that Stiles had laid out with a knowing look on their faces. "Oh my god," Anna whispered, "It's working."  
Stiles paused to do a little victory dance before explaining, "I did something," he explained, "I used mountain ash to-"  
"Scott." Derek interrupted.  
Anna scowled at him, "What?"  
"Break it."  
"Why?" Stiles asked, "No way."  
Derek pointed a finger at him, "Scott's dying."  
"What? How do you know that?"  
"Ohmigod – Stiles, I just know," he screamed. He shot a pleading look at Anna and they both yelled, "Break it."  
Stiles glanced down at the barrier, "All right," he said regretfully; he pushed the ash away so there was a clear break in the barrier.

* * *

She found Carly passed out and drunk outside the rave when she heard the distant whirling of police sirens. She bundled her best friend into the backseat, checking first to make sure she was still breathing. She just looked tired, and angelic, a smile fixed on her face. She'd clearly enjoyed the night. Anna went to the trunk of the Ford and found an old blanket. She was about to drape it over her friend when someone grabbed her hips and bent down, moisturizing the side of her neck with a kiss that made her knees go weak. The person nibbled, "And your dead." A familiar voice whispered in her ear, tugging on it slightly with their teeth.  
"Then I must be in heaven," she moaned softly. Despite the fact she wanted to him to continue, she forced him to stop, "I'm sorry about the plan. It didn't work – n-none of it worked." Her voice was strangled with anger but Isaac just planted a kiss on her forehead.  
"It'll be fine," Isaac said half-heartedly. Deep black bags were etched under his blue eyes and he was swaying on his feet a little, "We'll find some other way to stop Jackson." He yawned.  
"Come on," Anna said, tugging on his hand, "You're staying at my house tonight."  
"I don't think that's-"  
She grabbed the sides of his face and pushed her lips onto his. Her tongue slipped inside his mouth and he lifted her up onto her tippy-toes, hands skimming the outline of her body from her hips to her breasts. "I'm staying at your house tonight." He finally echoed. She led him to the Ford by his pinky finger and threw the blanket messily over her unconscious friend. Reaching into her pocket to find her car keys, extracting them she moved over to the driver side door.  
"Looks like your friend had a good time," Isaac commented as he glanced at a sleepy Carly who snuggled against the seats, "She kind of looks like a puppy."  
Anna giggled and looked at Carly again, "She does." Anna agreed with a giggle. She pushed the keys into the ignition. The car rumbled into life and Anna screeched the Ford away before the first police cruiser had time to arrive.

Isaac helped Anna prop Carly onto the couch. Anna placed a small pillow beneath the dark brown hair and hung a blanket over her body. She smiled down at her friend before taking Isaac's hand and leading him upstairs. Then they just did the most incent thing. They laid next each other on the bed, feet up against the pillow, heads hung over the edge so they could stare at the night sky. The sky seems astonishingly beautiful tonight like a navy blue blanket that covers the earth, glittering in all the right places and the almost full moon sending silver shafts of light down onto their faces.  
"It's beautiful," she whispered lightly as they watched the stars dance and shimmer.  
"Like you," Isaac commented beside her.  
She couldn't hide her smile, "Thank you, but I'm not," she decided to change the subject, "How's Rica and Boyd?" she asked softly. Her fingers moved to his hand, tracing circles on his palm. It felt so natural to be close to him now, when before everything with Derek becoming the Alpha and the whole Kanima thing she had been too scared to approach him openly.  
Isaac stifled a yawn, "They're doing okay. They do wanna see you, ya know, but they just haven't had the time. This is their first full moon – so Derek's got them on a pretty tight leash. Me, though, I've already had my first moon."  
Anna thought this over in her head, "What does it feel like… becoming a wolf," she pondered, "Does it hurt?"  
"Some," he said, "It's the pull that hurts more. The longer you're in human form, the more pain you're in. Once you give into it, it's the best feeling in the world. You forget about an problems and issues of real life, it's bliss."  
"Unless you choose to control it." Anna prompted.  
"Yeah," he replied absently, "Then it just feels weird, but I'd do that. For you." She turned to him and he reached out for her, taking a hold of her face and bringing his lips down onto hers softly. She didn't say a word, just kissed him back without any added play like feeling his hair or nibbling his ear.  
She tucked her head into the crevice of his neck after switching the small bedside lamp off, "I'm scared, Isaac," she whispered, "Of the hunters, and the Kanima and the full moon tomorrow night and for my friends – Scott, Carly, Stiles, Erica…. But most of all, I'm scared for you."  
"It's okay," he muttered back, chin resting on her head, "I'll protect you."  
She was about to say she wasn't the one that needed protecting until she heard soft snoring. And that was it. He was asleep and she wasn't.

Anna curled closer to him, their bodies entwined in each other. She never wanted to let go again. She fell asleep to the soft drumming of his heart and the promise of a brand new day tomorrow – even if it did terrify her in ways she couldn't express.


End file.
